Celestial Warrior Moon
by WeirdRaptor
Summary: As a dark entity prepares to destroy the world of humans, only one group of soldiers can stand in its way. Will they succeed, or they will fall? An Alternate Universe retelling of the Sailor Moon series. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Author's Note: **First things first. _Celestial Warrior Moon_ as a fan-based work is going to be very, very different from both the manga and anime. As much as I love both, I've decided to recreate _Sailor Moon_ going at it from a completely different angle. My story includes several OCs (though they are all members of the _supporting_ cast), I've changed how transformations and powers work, I will be introducing Sensei out of order, the monsters they face will be very different, some backstories will be different, and the violence will be much more intense.

**Journal Entry 4,092, Apr 3****rd****, 1992 AD**

They call us The Keepers. We are an alliance that has guided humanity through its many advances for a thousand years…and protected it from the things that lurk in the dark corners of the earth. But I am getting ahead of myself! I must start at the beginning, one thousand years ago. I am Myddin, former Chief Advisor to Her Majesty Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium: The Moon Kingdom.

This is not my story, nor hers'. Nor even the story of the Moon Kingdom or the members of its court. This is a chronicle for all. Humanity has been on the edge of annihilation for millennia. Man, woman, and child go about their daily business happily, only because they are unaware of so much happening beneath the mundane existence that they know. They know not know how dependent they are on the few that dare to venture down into the deepest depths where dark things stir.

We are The Keepers. We are the last of a once great race of beings, The Lunarians of the Silver Millennium. We were a peaceful people of long lives and great knowledge. One day, we observed a new life upon the earth's surface: humanity. Short in lifespan, but with great potential. We took it upon ourselves to educate them and be their guardians. We did so for thousands of years, making ourselves less and less known to them as they became more capable of surviving on their own. We would be content to watch their progress from a distance one day.

However…it was not meant to be. Something dark entered our galaxy. What _It_ was, is still unclear. Its intentions, however, could not be less ambiguous. _It_ was a harbinger of chaos and destruction, reaping death wherever it went. My people were quick to intercept Its path, and It did not take kindly to us. I accompanied them to serve as witness to the event. I could never properly describe the beast before us. Envision viewing something through the extremities of your peripheral vision. It appeared as blurred, soft, and weak. No hard angles or sharp edges. Its true form remained hidden to me, a shapeless form concealed under a cloak of hollowness. In a word: imprecise. Henceforth, It was a dubbed _The Entity_.

We were quick to begin our assault. Just as that _thing_ was beyond my ability to portray, so was the true form of Its attack. We never discovered what became of those poor men, but The Entity left me alone for reasons I never fathomed. The only thing that stopped it was the power of the sacred power of our Queen. We sealed in the North of earth's two poles, due to lack of knowledge and ability to destroy it. We dared not store in our home or anywhere close to living creatures. We had hoped to see the last of it. As time went on, our scholars studied It while we continued our mission.

Right under our noses The Entity spread Its influence through the earth, making way for distrust and hatred of the Silver Millennium. A Dark Kingdom rose to power in Europe at the height of its Dark Age. It was led by The Entities' followers. We first discovered them during one of their Masses, speaking hymns to it. They waged war on the rest of the world and on us. They took hold as a nameless power over the peoples, using dark creatures that had long haunted man's nights as their army.

Upon further observation we found energy was flowing forth from It, but we could not stop It. We could only limit its power as we had and maintain Its prison. It needs additional power to escape the shell Her Majesty incased it in. We intended not to let it obtain any.

On the eve of our princess's wedding, they came. They sundered our home. Alas, our dear Queen fell, but by her graces, was Chaos and its legions stopped, but not permanently. A few of us survived to reach earth to dwell among mortal humans. Even fewer remain now, but we must endure. We were sent here for a reason. We must continue our original mission, and await the awakening of the Celestial Warriors. Our task to is to ready them for what is it to come. All our hopes rest with their coming. I only pray that their arrival will be in time, and Heaven help us if they cannot contend.

The Entity stirs. It's time once again near. Its attention turns to finishing what It began so long ago. I can feel it in the air. It gathers Its forces once more. Whispers of dark dealings in this world's underground speak of the return of the Dark Kingdom. Where are the Celestial Warriors? Are they truly coming?


	2. Chapter 1: Crybaby Usagi Makes The Scene

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Chapter 1**

**Crybaby Usagi Makes The Scene**

_Tokyo, Japan, 1992._

"Alright, Yamagata, the truck's coming in. Over," A voice cracked over the radio.

"I hear you, Nagano, and I hear the truck. Opening the door now. Keep an eye out. Over," Yamataga spoke into the receiver.

Yamataga turned to his men and nodded his graying head. A young man in a ballcap went over to raise the overhead door. He was obviously nervous and fumbled with the handle.

"Calm down and just open the door," he heard Yamagata's aged voice say.

The worker nodded to his employer and tried again, this time lifting the door open. Then he stepped aside allowed the delivery truck to back into the storage facility. It came to a stop inside. They heard the motor turn off. Then the driver hopped out and went around to the back to open it. He unlocked the back of the truck and swung the doors open. Inside were piles and piles of wooden or cardboard boxes.

The short, squat driver turned around to facethe thirty-something men in the warehouse, and then stepped out of their way. Two of Yamagata's men climbed into the back. They knew exactly what to look for amongst the packed materials. They reemerged a moment later, each carrying three black metal boxes about the size of a briefcase. They each bore a different Kanji on the lock.

They set the boxes down in a row across a long table in the middle of the warehouse. The table was located directly under a bright light.

"Nagano, is everything still clear out there? Over," Yamagata asked.

"Yes. All the monitors are showing nothing, nothing, and nothing. Over."

"Good. Have your men report in, anyway. Over."

He put away the two-way radio and turned to his men.

"Alright, let's open them up," Yamagata ordered.

A skinny man with long hair and a leather jacket stepped forward and unlocked each case. Then he stepped back again as Yamagata looked in each and every case. Precious gems, diamonds, and other jewelry all lied on padded and soft lining in each of the six cases. Eighteen each per case.

"So far it seems like you have done well. Bring in Dr. Okinawa."

On cue, the doctor was escorted in. The short, frail old man laid his briefcase down next to the boxes containing the precious stones. He took off his thick, wide-brimmed glasses which were replaced by his Jeweler's Glass. He took out some other instruments from his briefcase and went over to the table to begin the long process of studying the stones, one by one. The time spent was was worth it. When he was done he nodded to Yamagata.

"The rocks are all genuine," the doctor's throaty voice croaked.

Yamagata nodded to a woman in a business suit. She took out a check and handed it to the driver. He accepted and bowed to Yamagata. Then he got back into the cab of the delivery and drove off into the night. The overhead door was pulled tightly shut again once he was gone.

"Am I going to be dragged out my bed again next week as well?" Dr. Okinawa asked Yamagata, somewhat wearily. "I have to tell you, Sato, these late nights here at the warehouses are starting to take their toll on me. I'm not as young as I used to be. Neither of us are."

The short, skinny gemologist pushed his thick framed glasses up to the top of his nose. The taller, heavy set built Yamagata just chuckled.

"You will have to forgive me, Uryu," Yamagata replied. "I don't have an answer for that right now. So far our client has told us to keep them coming in until they've found what they're looking for."

"Oh yes, this one diamond to end all diamonds they seem to think exists," Dr. Okinawa said dryly. "Ugh. Well, the sooner they find it or accept that this chase is just wishful thinking, the better."

Yamagata laughed again.

"As long as they keep the yen coming for these weekly drop offs, I could care less what they have us smuggle in," Yamagata replied. "Oita, take Dr. Okinawa home, make sure to use the "taxi". Uryu, your fee will be waiting there for you when you arrive, as usual."

"Thank you, Sato," Okinawa bowed.

He turned and left, followed by his escort. They left out one of the side exits.

"You all know the drill. Hey, Greasy, you can comb that mop on your head into place any time. We have a schedule to keep," Yamagata spoke. "You're paying attention no? Good. As I was saying, a different driver takes one box and brings it to a different drop off point. You will leave them there and not look back. Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kochi, Shimane, and Shiga are tonight's drivers. Now before you go…"

Yamagata reached into his long coat pocket again, pulling out the two-way radio.

"Nagano, report in. Over."

Silence on the other end. Yamagata tried again. By this time, his men were already taking out their handguns. Each one moved for a different exit.

"Negano. This is Yamagata. Report in!" he spoke more loudly into the receiver this time.

Still nothing. He turned to his men.

"Clear a path out the back," Yamagata ordered. "You drivers, I still want you to take your respective packages. As the earliest opportunity, you want you all on your way. As for the rest of you, if it's V, shoot to kill. If it's someone else, shoot to kill. We can figure out what to do with the body later."

They headed for the back of the facility, which was just across from them. While they did, Yamagata quickly switched the radio over to another frequency and spoke into it.

"Miyagi, come in."

Nothing. Then they started hearing gunshots and yelling coming from both outside and through the radio speaker.

"Shit. We're getting out here, now," Yamagata barked.

In a flash, they were out the back and into a yard of large metal crates stacked all around. Before them, at the other end of gauntlet, was their escape waiting for them in the form of their parked cars. Around them, they could hear the guards that were posted struggling with someone in the dark. Yamagata drew his own gun as the group began their mad dash.

"Want us to fan out to get this intruder?" one of his men asked.

"What? No. You are all staying by my side!" Yamagata shouted.

"Split up?! How much of a dumbass is this guy?" Yamagata wondered.

"Yamagata, sir," one of the guards called, running into view.

"What is happening here?" Yamagata demanded.

He slowed to a stop along with the rest.

"We don't know, sir. Someone just came in and started picking us off until the rest caught on."

"Is it Sailor V?" Yamagata asked.

"No, it's some _other_ whack job in a mask," the man replied. "With a stick and a hawk."

"Well, you know the answer to that," Yamagata rasped angrily.

He held his gun so the man could see it.

"Shoot him!"

"We're _trying, _sir," the man begged.

"Try again! Now go!"

Just as the guard turned to leave, something flew through the air above them. It let out a scream Yamagata knew to be a hawk's. It began knocking out streets lights, making the entire place go dark as the night. The nocturne sky was overcast, so they didn't even have the benefit of the moon shimmering overhead.

The yakuza barely heard the dashing footsteps approaching, let alone get turned around to defend themselves before the first man was knocked selfless. They could barely make out their attacker's form in the darkness, but they tried to either strike out with their arms and legs or aim their guns, none the less. Whoever it was, they were quick. Disappearing into the darkness after striking, only to appear again to take someone down. With one good, well-placed hit, another man fell each time.

Then the figure was suddenly in the midst of them, lashing out with his cane. In their confusion, the yakuza managed to bash out the teeth of the wrong mouth more than once before getting struck in the back of the head. Between being barely able to see each other, let alone the black mass that was the cause of this ruckus, they went down quickly. That is, all except for one that had made a break for it.

The figure dropkicked one of them into the metal wall of a crate, earning another instant knock out. He turned just to time to avoid receiving the worst of a knife strike. The yakuza grinned upon hearing a satisfying pained grunt when his slash connected. He stabbed at the figure, but the weapon his enemy bore smashed down on his wrist with as much force as possible, breaking it. The yakuza tried out but still lunged at the masked assailant. The black form dodged by the side, and kneed the yakuza in the stomach before disappearing into darkness.

Yamagata ran through the rows of crates carrying the lone box he had snagged in the chaos. Damn it! How could this happen? Always having to contend with Sailor V was bad enough. These were professional hired guns at his disposal, and that should have been enough. Now there was this clown. He had to find somewhere to hide, fast. The hawk swooped in and began pecking and scratching at him. Yamagata protected himself with his hands and waved the metal case around in the air to bat it off. The avian was persistent and kept up the attack.

Finally, Yamagata just shot at it without really stopping to properly aim. The hawk hastily retreated, and Yamagata retreated behind one of the larger metal crates. He flattened himself against its outer wall. He looked from side to side, waiting for his attacker to make an appearance. Damn it! If that psycho didn't already know where he was, he did now.

Yamagata slowed his breathing and calmed down. He could feel control returning to his arm muscles. His gun arm steadied. Alright, he was ready. He peaked around the corner, but saw nothing. So he moved back to his original position flat against the crate. Suddenly he was staring the masked man face-to-face!

Yamagata jumped back and tried to shoot at him. The masked man was quicker than him and knocked the gun out of his hand before he could get it aimed properly. So Yamagata got into a fighting stance and let loose a forward kick at the man, which he blocked with his stick. Sidekicks, roundhouses, jumping kicks, jabs, and more flew at the masked person, all of which were in turn parried. Yamagata now had a good look at his attacker.

The person wore a plain, round, white mask that covered his entire face. The only features to speak of were the eye holes which were basically two horizontal ovals that curved downwards like angry eyes. Over the area of the mouth were a row of simple vertical slits, allowing the host to breath. The man was bare-headed, so Yamagata could make out his short, black hair.

He could also tell his attacker was a man by the body type. He wore a simple form hitting black shirt made of a material that allowed for easy movement, paired with black pants, and lastly, a long black cape.

"Oh Kami, do I have some kind of Batman knock-off on my hands here?" Yamagata thought.

He noticed one final thing about his attacker. He was holding his side, obviously covering a wound. So one of his men had managed to land a hit on him. Yamagata put down the case holding the diamonds carefully and without taking his eyes off his opponent. He needed both hands for this.

The masked man lunged at him again, but Yamagata punched out in defense and as expected, the mask blocked it with his stick. Yamagata was ready for it this time. He grabbed the stick with one hand and punched with the other. The mask caught the punch and the two grappled with each other. He was convinced that he had his attacker right where he wanted as he forced the masked person's torso to twist painfully back and forth through the up-close struggle. The masked man cried out as the wound in his side exploded into pain each time his torso moved. This allowed Yamagata to grab the cane away from him. He raised it aiming for his head and brought it down at the man's head. But the masked man ducked to the side just in time to avoid getting his skull cracked open, but not in time to avoid the swing completely. The mask cried out as Yamagata struck him in the left shoulder. He halted the anguished sound as best he could. Yamagata raised it again, but hawk intervened, diving at his face and clawing him with its talons.

Yamagata shrieked out in pain and batted the bird away. Once it had broken off the attack, its human companion head-butted the yakuza with his forehead, breaking his nose. Yamagata still brought the cane down wildly, but the mask easily evaded the swings. Yamagata swung it so hard, he actually went off balance. The masked man used the opportunity to grab the cane and shove Yamagata away with a push kick.

The yakuza stumbled back, losing grip of the weapon. He tried to attack again, but this time the man threw off his cape at him, disorienting him for just a second. It was more than enough. Just as Yamagata yanked it off and tossed it away, the masked man's cane came down on his knees. Yamagata cried out as he felt his legs give out under him. The yakuza collapsed onto the ground onto his busted knees, which made pain and agony shoot through him like electricity. Yamagata let out another scream.

"Now then," the masked man said with a surprisingly casual tone.

He raised his right arm so it was level, allowing the hawk to land on it. Yamagata regarded him coldly.

"Do you think he has any information?" a second voice asked.

Yamagata's eyes glanced back and forth, but saw no one.

"We won't know until we ask," the masked man replied.

Was…was he talking to the bird?

"Who are you working for?" Mask asked.

Yamagata just laughed. He then rebuked the masked man with a stream of obscenities and told him what he could do with his mother. The masked man didn't reply at first, content to let the yakuza get it out of his system.

"A bit mouthy, isn't he?" that second voice spoke again.

"Who the hell is that?" Yamagata demanded. "Who's with you?"

"I will be asking the question," the masked man replied. "Who are you working for?"

Yamagata spit at him. The saliva hit the man's chest. He looked down at where it hit him. He then ushered the hawk back into the air. He raised the cane and struck Yamagata in the ribs with it.

"Aaaah! Son of a…" Yamagata growled through clenched teeth.

"Ready to cooperate?"

The downed man just laughed

"Not on your life, you smug little bastard."

The cane came down again. Yamagata cried out. Then Yamagata was hit again, this time on _his _shoulder. He scream came out through clenched teeth as he felt it dislocate from the socket. And then the masked man struck him again, and again, and again, each time in a different place on the yakuza's torso. This kept up until Yamagata fell over onto his side and was crawling to get away from his assailant. Most of the strikes weren't enough to break anything, but they sure did hurt like the Dickens and would leave nasty bruises.

The cane came down and smacked him in the arm, but not hard enough to break it.

"F&$% you," Yamagata roared through the pain.

A jab to the stomach made him curl up into a ball painfully.

"Let's try this again. Who are you working for?" the masked man practically growled this time.

Yamagata remained defiantly quiet. So the masked man grabbed him his collar and hoisted him up. Yamagata moaned painfully from the sudden movement, which gave both his cracked ribs and dislocated shoulder a sharp sting. Mask raised the cane, ready to deal out more punishment. Finally, the mob boss spoke again. His voice was but a croaky whisper.

"You think you can just threaten or beat the answers out of me, little man? Go ahead. Do your worst. Whatever you can dish out, they can do worse. You can drudge the entire city for every member of every gang for the yakuza who might have an answer to your question, but it'll be the same every time. No one is going to sell these people out to you."

"Then they must have friends somewhere. I can go give them a call," the masked man replied.

Yamagata began laughing painfully.

"Friends? Friends?"

He laughed even harder now, holding his already aching sides.

"I don't know who you are, but you are funny, kid! Friends? You _clearly _have no idea what kind of people these are!"

Yamagata turned serious again, glaring up at the unknown attacker.

"I would rather do this all night with you. So bring it."

"What do they want the rocks for, then?"

"I have _no_ idea, kid! They just said they were looking for something special and would know when they found it. I'm just supposed to keep bringing them in, no questions asked."

"I see."

The masked man dropped him and turned to leave.

"Hey. Hey!" Yamagata shouted.

The yakuza blinked, his vision going blurry on him.

"What?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"…Call me Phantom Mask."

In the distance, police sirens could be heard, fast approaching. The hawk circled overhead.

"We better be going," Yamagata heard that other voice again.

"Yes, our cue to leave," Phantom Mask replied.

He gave a bow to Yamagata.

"We really should do this again sometime, but until then, farewell," Phantom Mask said.

Yamagata scowled as Phantom Mask disappeared in an instant. He began shouting after him.

"Don't think you hide from me, boy! This is my turf! No matter where you run, no matter where you hide! I'll come find you!"

* * *

"Is this everyone?" Superintendant Sakurada asked.

She watched as the officers shoved the bruised and limping yakuza into the backs of their police cars.

"Everyone," Wakagi replied.

He shook his head.

"What do you think, Superintendent?"

"This definitely wasn't V's work," she said thoughtfully. "V just leaves them tied up and unconscious. These men have been beaten and even had a few bones broken by what had to have been inflicted by a blunt weapon."

"Just what we need, another vigilante crime fighter," Wakagi grumbled.

"Well, at least whoever this was brought us Yamagata, Sato," Sakurada replied. "Even Sailor V has been having trouble getting at him. Did you recover the missing jewelry?"

"Here our answer comes," Wakagi replied.

An officer approached, carrying one of the metal cases that was supposed to contain the diamonds. He had a glum look about him. He opened it up. It was empty. Sakurada began massaging her temples, groaning deeply.

"Are they _all_ empty?" she asked in a low, angry tone.

"Every last one," the officer replied.

Sakurada sighed.

"Were any of them able to identify whoever did this?" she asked.

"Their testimonies have all been very vague. Just that a masked man took a stick to them all. Yamagata actually managed to get a name, of sorts, out of him," the officer explained.

"Oh?" Sakurada asked.

"Phantom Mask," The officer stated.

"Another weirdo," Wakagi muttered unhappily.

"Just get these thugs out of here. Pull the footage from that one guy's security van, and try to figure out how this all happened. I'm going to talk with Sailor V about this," Sakurada said. "Wakagi, you're in charge."

Wakagi saluted as she climbed into the driver's seat of her car and drove off.

"You have your orders. Dismissed," Wakagi said to the officer.

Wakagi stepped away from the crime scene, and took out a cigarette. He hated nights like this. Recently, crime rates had really been up, and is wasn't only that. All manner of oddities had began happening on the streets, and only Sailor V and a select few others seemed to have any idea what was going on. Idol singers turning their fans into mindless zombies, cupcakes that made their eaters gain about thirty pounds after having just one of them, and even stranger had been going down without any rhyme or reason the police could make out.

Oh, hell with it. He dropped his cigarette and wiped it out with his foot. Japan was becoming a more dangerous and strange place, and he's just have to accept it. Nothing to do but see what tomorrow brought.

* * *

A scream broke out through the house.

"Looks like Usagi just woke up," Ikuko said to her husband.

"Mm-hmm," Kenji replied, not taking his eyes off the paper.

He casually reached for his morning coffee, completely ignoring the chaos he had grown so accustomed to. Shingo munched on the last of his breakfast sandwich before putting into the sink and leaving for school.

"Have a nice day, son," Kenji called after him.

"Yeah, right," Shingo muttered.

"Eh-hem," Ikuko said forcefully.

"I mean, I know mom and dad," Shingo backtracked, forcing a big, happy smile before disappearing out the front door.

Kenji turned the page of his newspaper, and immediately spotted something of interest.

"Hmm. Sailor V does it again," he said. "Gang of thieves busted. Diamond worth 16 million yen safely returned."

"Wouldn't it be nice if our girl was anything like her?" Ikuko said dismally.

She turned away from the dishes she was washing and gave her daughter a weary sideways stare as the blonde crashed to the floor onto her bum, naturally having fallen down the steps.

"Owie!" Usagi whined.

She met her mother's gaze with her own, frantic and tearing up as it was.

"Mom, you dummy, why didn't someone wake me sooner? I'm gonna be late!"

With a heave, she leapt to her feet without the assistance of her hands and started to dash out the door.

"Did you remember your book bag?" Kenji called, turned the page again. "Mm. A wholesale on hats."

"Oh, crap!" Usagi yelped as she ran back upstairs.

A second later she came back down.

"Did you remember to put you books in the book bag?" Kenji called between sips of coffee.

"Oh man!" Usagi ran back by again.

"You brew the best coffee, hun," he said to Ikuko.

"Thanks, dear," she blushed.

Ikuko stepped up just beside where Usagi would be passing any second now, holding a piece of toast and a bento box. On cue, the oversleeping one flew through the house and out the front door, taking both with her.

"Have a good day at school," Ikuko called after her.

Usagi's incoherent wail of an answer faded into the distance.

Ikuko sighed, and shrugged hopelessly.

"Do you think she just needs a better alarm clock?"

"Better alarm clock? I'd have a band to give her a full blast with their instruments if I thought it'd do any good," Kenji replied.

Meanwhile outside, the girl in question sprinted for all her worth through the streets of Tokyo, not stopping for anything. She weaved back and forth around anyone who happened to be in the way without losing a second.

"Why does the morning always have to come so soon. I'm still sleepy," Usagi whined "Oh, this sucks this sucksthissucks_thissucks__**thissucks**__**thissucksthissucks**_."

She accidentally bumped elbows with a woman with long black hair.

"Sorry," Usagi called over her shoulder.

The woman stopped and stared after her for a moment before continuing on her way.

"Short cut, coming right up," Usagi rasped breathlessly.

She made a sharp turn into a yard. She passed by a man sunbathing by his pool.

"In a rush to get to school again, eh, Usagi?" he said as she passed.

Through his peripheral vision, he saw she managed to clear the fence in a single hop. Cutting through a series of yards took her trek to school down to one half its usual length. The fence of the last yard was just in front of her, and as per usual, the owner's dog was on her heels. Usagi licked her lips, preparing the time the jump. With a mighty push off the ground, she just avoided getting chomped and hoisted herself up and over in a single movement.

Ha ha! Home free…uh, oh. Today, there was a young man with short dark hair, a nice dress suit, and mirror shades walking right where she'd usually land on the pavement of the little road.

"Look out!" she started to cry.

Alas, she didn't get the first syllable out before she crashed into him and the two tumbled onto the paved ground.

"Ooowww!" she howled.

She spun around crossly about to yell at him for getting in the way. She stopped once she saw him lying on his side, clutching his shoulder. His face had gone pale, and she could tell he was breathing through a considerable amount of time.

"Oh, no, I must've really hurt him," she thought immediately feeling remorseful.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked concerned.

She crawled over to him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, dumpling head?" he yelled suddenly.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"_You _just blindly leapt over a fence! What'd you think was going to happen?"

"Hey, now you just…" Usagi started to shout back.

He rolled over onto his back and tried to get up, but breathed out a pained hiss before easing himself back onto the ground. Usagi clamped up, feeling bad.

"Hold on! Here, let me help," she said.

She supported his back with one hand and held his good arm with her other. She eased him up into a sitting position.

"Thanks…" he said, sounding drained.

He slowly climbed to his feet, still holding his shoulder all the way.

"I'm sorry, did I do that," she asked guiltily.

"No, but you sure aggravated it," he replied, sounding less than happy.

He let out a sharp groan when he tried rotating it around in a circle.

Usagi clicked her tongue, unsure of what to say.

"Shouldn't you be getting to school by now, dumpling head," he regarded her with a raised brow.

Then she remembered why she was in such a rush.

"Crap!," she cried.

She grabbed her bag off the ground and zipped off, quickly disappearing.

"I'll give her one thing. She's fast," he observed with mild amusement.

He walked away, back to whatever objective had brought him there in the first place.

"What a smug jerk, but I guess I shouldn't take it too hard on him," she thought. "Now what time is it…"

She checked her wristwatch.

"Crap. Better hustle," she cried.

Without paying attention, she dashed into the crosswalk. She didn't realize until it was too late that she had jumped right out into the path of a moving vehicle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it and tried to dodge out of the way, but she knew there was no time to avoid impact. Something suddenly yanked her back out of the way from behind. The honking car passed by harmlessly, though its driver did yell out the window for Usagi to watch where she was stepping from now on.

"Whoa. You almost got flattened," said the low feminine voice of her rescuer.

Oddly, the voice seemed to be coming from a far distance above the blonde's head. Usagi looked up and saw that, in fact, the girl that had pulled her off the road stood a head higher than herself. It was a brunette with her long hair tied back in a ponytail. She had beautiful rose earrings. Usagi blushed at the sight of the girl.

The girl looked down at her with pretty green eyes.

"It's dangerous out here, you know. Be careful," she said, smiling.

"Y-yeah," Usagi stammered.

"Hey, isn't that a Juuban Junior High uniform," the girl asked. "I'm going there, too. Wanna run together?"

"Uh, sure thing. You visiting a friend there or something?" Usagi replied cheerfully.

"Oh, no, I just transferred in," the tall girl replied.

She looked at herself.

"…They didn't have any uniforms in my size. This is more style, anyway," she said miserably.

"I'm Kino, Makoto, by the way. What's your name," Makoto said, bucking right up.

"Tsukino, Usagi. Pleased to meet you, Mako. Oh, sorry, are you okay with Mako?"

"Sure! Pleased to meet you, too, Usagi."

Usagi led the way to Juuban Junior High.

"Hey, Mako, if we go through this next alley, the school will be straight ahead," Usagi called back to her new companion.

"I'm not so sure we should…"

"Here we go," Usagi said.

She ducked into an alley that the school before Makoto could finish. She almost cheered, she was so happy to almost be at the end of her run. WHAM! She fell back, having run into something now.

"Ah, man, this is not my day," she wailed. "Owowowowowowowowowow. Sorry."

She looked up to see who or what she collided with. When she had, she wished she didn't. Staring down at her was a trio of huge, muscle-bound thugs leering down at her. One of them mockingly held his leg and had an exaggerated look of pain on his face.

"Hey, you broke out my leg. Ouch, babe," he said.

She began to recoil from the leader. He pushed his shades back up the top of his nose while he strutted up to the girl. His hands remained firmly in his pockets the rest of the time.

"Yo! What're you going to do about what you just did to my buddy, Missy?"

"Stop it right there!" Makoto yelled.

She stepped in between Usagi and the ruffian. The guy cocked as brow looking up at her stern expression. She stood with her arms crossed giving him a disapproving glare.

"Hey, butt out," he barked.

"I saw everything," she responded firmly. "She just bumped into him, and you're giving her a hard time? Talk about cheap."

"What did say you?" the punk yelled menacingly.

By the point, all three were ready for a fight, but Makoto didn't even flinch.

"Yo! You might be cute, but we'll be f%*$ before we let you get away with anything! Get her!"

The three pulled out knives and charged her, acting as one. Makoto used the first man's own momentum against him and threw him over her shoulders, slamming him into the ground. The second man slashed at her, but she simply side-stepped out of the way. She kneed him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain immediately. The third man stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at his unconscious friends on the ground, and then at Makoto, who was giving him a beckoning gesture with her index finger.

"Ah, f&$# this," he swore.

He turned tail and ran for it.

"Amazing," Usagi uttered.

"You alright?" Makoto asked her.

The brawny girl faced Usagi.

"Oh, uh, um, yes," Usagi stuttered.

She scratched the back of her awkwardly.

"I guess you did try to warn me. Sorry," Usagi said.

"Don't worry about it, but you really need to be more careful," Makoto said friendly.

She then regarded Usagi with a faintly concerned look.

"Is every morning like this?" she asked.

"No. Today just sucks."

Makoto let out a surprisingly girlish giggle.

"Come on then. Let's get to school," the brunette said.

The short remainder of the trip to school was without incident, much to Usagi's surprise and relief. They had arrived right out front of the school building. They were just in time not to be late.

"Hey, Mako, what are you doing this afternoon after school?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going to do home," Makoto asked. "Or go to the dojo and train some."

"Hey, you wanna hang out tonight. I'm going to a friend's house to study. I can introduce you to Naru," Usagi offered.

"Really?" Makoto asked, almost disbelieving.

"Sure. The more the merrier. It'll be great. Let's be friends," Usagi smiled sweetly.

Makoto at first was taken aback, but then she smiled warmly right back.

"I'd like that," she said.

The pair entered through the double glass doors of the building, heading straight for class.

"Oh man. Just barely dodged that bullet," Usagi said, happily sinking into his chair. "At least I wasn't late…"

Before she could finish that sentence, she leaned over and drifted off, fast asleep where she sat.

"Oh, brother," her friend, Naru rolled her eyes. "Looks like I'll just have to remind her about tonight after Ms. Haruna's done with her."

She glanced over at Makoto, who busied herself trying to look inconspicuous to all the eyes on her. Then she looked over at Mizuno, Ami a quiet and petite girl that greatly contrasted the other newcomer in just about every way. Presently, the girl had her face buried in one of their textbooks, and was already taking notes.

"Egghead, definitely," Naru's mind registered.

"Good morning, class," Haruna greeting as she entered.

Immediately, she spotted Makoto.

"You're wearing the wrong uniform, Ms. Kino," she said sternly.

"They didn't have one in my size," Makoto replied.

"Not surprising. Today, class, we have two new transfer students. Please come to the front, Ms. Kino and Ms. Mizuno. Say hello, class. They're going to be with us from now on… Tsukino. Tsukino! Grr. That girl!"

Haruna grabbed a piece of chalk and flung across the room with precision aim. One of the ends bounced off Usagi's head, startling the girl back into consciousness.

"No, give me back my satay chicken," she cried, shooting up in her seat.

It was then that Usagi remembered where she was. She slowly scanned all the eyes on her, and turned beet red. Then she looked at the teacher, who currently who had fixed a hard gaze on her. Her arms were folded in front with one heeled foot tapping the floor, making for the perfect disapproving authority figure stance. Usagi laughed nervously and gulped hard.

"Go stand in the hallway, Ms. Tsukino," Usagi asked meekly.

"Mm-hm," Haruna nodded.

A moment later…

"This sucks," Usagi thought dejectedly. "How could she make a sweet, darling, and fragile girl like me stand out in the hallway like this? Oh, well, at least it can't get any worse."

Shortly thereafter…

Usagi stared the '30%' in red ink that adorned her test score, with tiny tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Wah! It's not fair. Not only was I sleeping in class, but I totally botched the test, too! Mom is going to _kill me_! At this rate, I'm going to fail this class for sure!"

"Oh, stop your sulking," Naru scolded. "You know what you have to do if you don't want to fail this class. Looks like you can really use this study date tonight. Now, come on, lunch is starting. You didn't eat your lunch out in the hall again, did you?"

"No. I still have my lunch today," Usagi held up the unopened bento.

"Great! Now I can eat without you salivating over my food for once," Naru chirped.

"Ah, Naru! That's mean," Usagi whined to her laughing friend.

"Hey, Usagi, how'd you on the test?" Umino asked, appearing out of freaking nowhere.

"Gah," both girls jumped at his sudden appearance. Ignoring that, Umino held up his test, which was marked with a '95%'.

"I actually didn't study at all. I was too busy with DnD this weekend. But tests are just like games, too, ya know?"

"School's a game to you?" Naru asked in amazement. "Whatever. You're too danged smart."

"That's not what anyone would call a real zinger of an insult, Naru," Usagi said.

"Hey, did you girls hear about those new transfer students," Umino asked.

He took out his book of rumors. He flipped through it looking for the appropriate page.

"Hey, Usagi," Makoto greeted. "Want to join me for lunch?"

"Sure thing," Usagi replied. "Oh. Hey, Mako, this is my friend, Naru that I was telling you about earlier."

"Figures," Naru considered with humor. "Usagi's got a real talent for making new friends."

"Naru Osaka," Naru said.

Makoto and Naru shook hands.

"Who's he?" Makoto gestured to Umino.

"Guh. Just ignore him," Usagi said. "Come on. Let's go."

"Here we are, according to the word of the street…ladies?"

The girls were just closing the door when he looked up.

"Hey, that's not very nice," he complained, rushing after them. "I already have really good scoops on them both!"

"What is he talking about?" Makoto asked, confused and a little annoyed.

Naru shrugged hopeless and sighed.

"Mako, meet our resident Walking Rumor Mill, Umino. Yeah, what do you want, Umino?"

Umino currently read out of his book, keeping track of them via his peripherals. Naru noted that if they stopped suddenly he'd probably bump right into them.

"Hey, that big girl, Kino, has enormous physical strength, not to mention enormous 'talent'! Rumor is she's been going from school to school because she keeps getting into fights with everyone. You'd better stay away from that delinquent, girls. If you're not careful, she might…"

"Ahem!"

"Mm," Umino looked up.

He let out a wheeze that was probably meant to be a scream while he stumbled over his own feet before coming to a complete stop. Here he was, face-to-face with the 'delinquent', herself.

"Oh my…um…" he sputtered.

"I might _what?_" Makoto asked angrily.

"Uh, did you know Mizuno was not only at the top of her class, but also the best in the country with her I.Q. supposed being 300," Umino quickly changed topics.

Makoto jaw dropped, aghast at what she beholding.

"She is?" Usagi asked, very much surprised.

Now Umino had her attention. She looked past Umino and spotted the blue haired student in question staring out one of the many windows as if watching something.

"And there she is," Usagi pointed. "Wow. She really is a genius."

"That's right. I heard she attends Crystal Cram School, that computer wiz place they just built."

"Whoa! My mom told that it's real expensive to get into there," Usagi said.

"Not surprising, her mom is supposed to be a doctor, after all," Naru added. "It was probably easy to get in there with all the money they must have."

"Guys, I don't think this is such a great idea," Makoto said uncomfortably.

"Ah, it's just a little harmless fun," Umino replied. "Actually, she's there on scholarship, totally for free! Too bad she never talks to anyone. Some say it's because she thinks she's better than anyone else."

"Okay…I think you're starting to push it," Makoto said cautiously.

"Ugh. And you know I can't stand people like that. I hope it's just because she's shy, because they'd at least be hot," Umino said.

Ami slowly turned her head to look at them. She said nothing; it was the look that spoke volumes. It was a very angry, but controlled glare.

Usagi turned away and laughed nervously.

"Such a nice day," she said hastily.

"Yeah, it is," Naru spoke.

They both walked hurriedly away, followed by Makoto, who mouthed an apology to Ami while they went. She then grabbed Umino by the collar and dragged him away before he could blab anymore.

"Way to go," she said to him crossly.

"Hey, wait up," she called to her new friends.

Ami just let out a deep sigh as she watched go.

* * *

"That Umino, the one person I don't like being beaten by," Naru muttered.

She took a bite of her food. The three girls had gone up to the roof where they met with two others, a chunky girl with short, curly hair and a girl few with a long, dark hair. She was introduced to the group of four friends. She listened in while the others talked, occasionally putting in her own thoughts. At the moment, Makoto had no problem just observing this new circle she was suddenly a part of. Hell, she was just happy to be included. Usually, everyone was too afraid to talk her. Usagi sure seemed to be breaking the ice for her easily.

"Did you hear about what happened in the warehouse district last night?" one asked. "Apparently, some kind of yakuza drop off was interrupted by a masked person."

"Oh, Sailor V?" Naru asked.

"Sailor Who?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, Sailor V! I'm a really big fan of hers'!" Makoto piped in. "She's supposed to be about our age, but she catches criminals and leaves them for the cops to lock away! She's a solder for love and justice! She's always all over the news!"

"You really know your Sailor V stuff, huh?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, you bet," Makoto continued excitedly with a gleam in her eye. "I always get up early to watch the news to see if she's had any new battles for justice! The media speculates that she's actually working with the police, but I dunno!"

Makoto leaned in close to the others, and whispered.

"I think she's the results of generic experimentation gone really right, and is working with the government, not the police."

"…Interesting theory," Naru said, a bit stunned.

"So, was it this Sailor V person that busted the yakuza last night?" Usagi asked.

"No way," Makoto insisted before anyone else could speak. "The person described by the thugs is a man that called himself Phantom Mask. He's probably that jewel thief everyone's been talking about."

"What makes you say that?" Usagi inquired curiously.

"The goods they were dropping were diamonds, all of which were gone by the time the police showed up. The yakuza themselves were really messed up when the police finally showed. This guy gave them everything from dislocated joints, broken bones, cracked ribs, the works! Sailor V _never_ leaves them needing to go to the emergency room before prison," Makoto explained.

"You're really passionate about Sailor V," Usagi said, simultaneously impressed and taken aback.

"Phantom Mask," Naru repeated. "Sounds like a really cheesy superhero show."

"I don't know anything about Phantom Mask, but Sailor V is supposed to be a great savior, like we're at the End Times," one of the others said.

"Hey, Naru," Usagi said, a bit concerned. "Your mom owns a jewelry store, right? Are you afraid of being robbed?"

"Of course," Naru answered. "It'd be really bad if it was, too. That's our family business, so if we lose our stock, we could go under. We're not some big shot company or anything."

"Speaking of which," another of them said. "Didn't your mom's store just start a big sale today?"

"Yeah, new low prices. Even a few within _our _price range," Naru answered happily.

"You know," one of the other girls said with hearts practically in her eyes. "I totally get wanting to rob a jewelry store. All those beautiful sparking gems surrounding you."

"We've gotta go check it out," another exclaimed.

"Sounds good," Makoto grinned.

Then she put a finger to her chin in thought.

"I wonder if even I could afford something?" she wondered. "Probably not, but at least I'll get to hang out with some other kids."

She started to put the lid back on her lunch box, having eaten her fill.

"Are you really done, Mako?" Usagi asked. "You still have a rice ball left."

"Oh, I always make too much. Would you like to have the last one?"

"Ooh, thanks for the food," Usagi accepted.

"I should have known lunch wouldn't come and go without you digging into someone else's food," Naru teased.

Usagi just stuck her tongue out at her and bit into the treat.

"Hey, it's good," she complimented.

"I'm glad you like it," Makoto said with a slight blush.

"Your mother must be a genius chef," Usagi said.

"Oh, this? I made it myself," Makoto was _really_ blushing now.

"What? That's amazing! You'll have to teach me sometime," Usagi said excitedly.

"I wouldn't let her near your kitchen if I were you," Naru said.

"Naruuuu. Stop being mean," Usagi whined. "I only accidentally spilled chocolate icing once!"

"And got milk everywhere, and tipped over the pitcher of lemonade, then tripped over your own feet sending the whole table over, and somehow brought a whole closet full of food ingredients to the ground, and…"

"I think I get the picture," Makoto said with a voice filled with dread.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Hey, Naru, I'd like to invite Mako to our study meet up tonight. Is that alright?" Usagi asked.

"Sure, sure! Oh, wait, we better do it at your house tonight."

"Haha, yeah, about that… I'd rather not face mom tonight."

"Oh, right, the test results. You sure? Oh, alright."

"Some reason you don't want us to come over, Naru?" Usagi asked growing bemused.

"Oh, it's nothing. Forget I ever said anything," Naru tried waved it off like it was nothing.

After school let out, the girls congregated all heading to the jewelry store. They chattered about being excited about being able to make a potential purchase. They left the school grounds, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Witchy education mommas could wait until after a little spending time, Usagi concluded. Then someone caught her eye. She spotted that Ami girl heading off alone, and immediately left bad about earlier. Looking at her now, the girl's slow pace seemed more lonely than stuck-up.

She stopped, and thought about what, if anything, she should do. Makoto spotted her falling behind.

"Usagi," Makoto called.

"Huh? Oh, you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up later," Usagi said.

She ran off after Ami.

"Huh. What's her deal?" one of the others asked.

"I think I get it," Makoto smiled. "Hey, Naru."

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to go with Usagi and Ami. New kids need to stick up for each other."

"Okay."

"See you all later," Makoto said.

She ran after Usagi, yelling her to wait up.

"I'll see anything I can get you something you might like," Naru called after Makoto.

"That's okay, I wasn't really going to buy anything, anyway," Makoto called back.

"Hey, don't forget the group tonight," Naru called. "Make sure Usagi shows up!"

"Will do!"

Usagi walked a fair distance behind, Ami, deciding on how to approach her.

"Well, nothing for it," she thought.

She was about ready to speak when it happened. A black cat jumped down from a nearby tree and landed on the other girl. Usagi let out a surprised yelp. Ami also jerked in surprise and looked at the feline as it positioned itself stably on her right shoulder.

"A cat?" Ami asked.

A small smile formed as she reached up and began to pet the black little fluffball. She didn't respond at first, apparently content to bore a hole in the girl with its stare. As Ami began scratching it under the chin, it leaned into the touch and purred loudly. Then it suddenly pulled away.

"Oh, no. Shhh, it's okay," Ami said softly.

She started to pet the cat again, slowly and lightly. She spoke gently to it, trying to keep it calm.

"You're so soft," Ami said. "I wish I could keep you, but I live in an apartment. You must belong to someone, anyway. I'd like a nice cat, too."

Usagi thought the sight was absolutely adorable. She approached the two from behind.

"Hello," she said.

The cat turned around on Ami's shoulder to look at her, and then hopped off onto the ground. Ami glanced Usagi's way as the cat now trotted over to the blonde. Usagi squatted down to pet the kitty. It suddenly hopped into her arms as just suddenly as it with Ami. At first, she just thought the little furball was being friendly, but something about its intense stare made her think she was being studied.

"It looked this kitty gave you start," Usagi said casually.

The other girl looked at her uncertainly at first, and then asked:

"Is that you cat?"

"No, I've never seen…"

One quick look under its tail later…

"Never seen her before, actually," Usagi finished.

"I wonder who she belongs to, then," Ami said.

She stepped up to Usagi and the cat.

"She's obvious tame," Makoto said, suddenly appearing.

"Ah! Mako! Don't do that! You're as bad as Umino," Usagi cried in surprise.

Makoto chuckled.

"Hey there, pretty kitty…whoa!"

Makoto stepped back upon being the next person the cat leapt onto without warning. Ami laughed pleasantly. Makoto tried to stay still as it walked from one shoulder to the next.

"When she dropped in from the sky, I at first thought she might have been an angel," she said.

"She is a cute little thing," Makoto concurred.

She rubbed the cat under the chin, too.

"So you're Mizuno, Ami from our class, right," Usagi spoke. "I'm Tsukino, Usagi. Glad to meet you."

"Kino, Makoto. Sorry about what that doofus was saying about you earlier."

"Nice to meet you both, too," Ami replied.

"Hey, Ami, do you play games," Usagi asked.

"No, I've never tried before."

"Wanna try it out?" Usagi asked.

Usagi smiled.

"I'll teach you how to play," she said.

"Well…I have a lot of studying to do," Ami said uncertainly.

"Well, that works just fine. We're all heading to a friends' house for a study group tonight," Makoto piped in. "It's still schoolwork, but doing with a group has to beat working alone. What do you say?"

Ami practically glowed now.

"I'd love to."

"And better yet, if we're friends, she'll help me get good grades," Usagi added mentally.

As they left, the cat hopped away and out of sight.

"Aw, don't wanna come along, kitty," Usagi asked.

"Her loss," Makoto shrugged.

Usagi led the way to the arcane. Along the way, Ami and Makoto could have sworn they saw that cat watching them one or two more times. But anytime they looked where they spotted it head-on, it was quickly gone.

"Weird animal," Makoto thought.

She realized she fell behind a bit, and sped up to catch up to Usagi and Ami on their trek to…The Game Center Crown.

To be continued…

**A/N: **I thought for sure that all of Usagi's friends were named, but going through every bit of information I could find with a fine comb: guess not. Either way, though, God bless WikiMoon.

Anyway, yeah, I know I'm lifting dialogue right from both the manga and anime. At this early point, I'm just trying to start you guys off on somewhat familiar ground before diverging from the original story more, later.

Yeah, this entire chapter was originally one part, but when it reached the point of over 10,000 words and 35 pages. I don't like my chapter to exceed 30 pages.


	3. Chapter 2: Light Shines Shadows Stretch

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Chapter 2**

**Light Shines; Shadows Stretch**

"Welcome to the Game Center Crown," Usagi announced.

She stood right in front of the door facing them both with her arms spread wise apart in a "tada" stance. She went in, new friends in tow. Straight to the right were the crane machines, and to their left was the main body of the arcane, full of customers busying themselves with either saving the world or matching skill against each other.

"Hey, look," Makoto said breathlessly.

She pointed to a nearby poster.

"They made a Sailor V made! Oh, it's going to be awesome," she said with fangirlish delight.

She held both hands balled up into fists against her chest giggling with almost childish delight.

"Do you think Sailor V has to worry about tests?" Usagi asked gloomily.

Makoto stopped her reverie to think about that for a moment.

"I don't really know, but hey, kicking bad guy butt! That's gotta rock!"

"Yeah, it must be pretty awesome to be Sailor V," Usagi said.

She took out her test paper and scowled at it.

"I really don't want to take this home…" she said.

"Ouch," Ami remarked upon seeing the grade.

The teen genius turned her attention to the poster. She read the poster over, looking for the release date.

"It looks like it just came out," Ami muttered.

"Do you think they have it?" the blue headed one asked.

"They should," Usagi answered. "Or at least, Motoki said they'd have it be today."

"Oh, who's Motoki," Ami asked.

"Oh, Motoki. You see, he's…" Usagi hesitated.

Her face flushed as she wrapped a finger in her hair absently, sputtering for words.

"Oh, is he your older brother?" Makoto asked.

"No! He's… Oh, here he comes!"

Motoki walked out from the back of the arcane to welcome the customers.

"Hey, Usagi," Motoki said in his usual warm manner. "Perfect timing! I just started working."

"Hello, Motoki," Usagi returned the gesture.

"That Sailor V game you were asking about last week just came in. You brought your friends, I see. Hmm, I don't think we've met."

"That's because they just transferred in," Usagi explained. "Motoki, this is Mizuno, Ami."

"Hello."

"And this Kino, Makoto."

Silence.

"Mako?"

Usagi and Ami looked at the taller girl. It seemed as though Makoto had left the building, or at least her mind had. Her eyes were starry and glassy, her mouth gaped open slightly, and she just stood there, staring dreamily at Motoki.

"Mako," Ami said.

She didn't react.

"Hello there, Mako? Anyone home?" Usagi said loudly.

She waved her a hand in front of Makoto's face and still no reaction. Usagi flushed. She was very much displeased that Makoto obviously had her eye on Motoki.

Ami turned to face Motoki with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what could have gotten into our friend. She didn't seem shy before," Ami said apologetically.

Motoki laughed disarmingly.

"Hey, it's no problem."

"Mo-to-ki," Makoto drawled.

She seemed to come out of it.

"And hello to you, Makoto. Well, I have some work that needs doing, so I'll see you girls later. The Sailor V game is right over there."

The trio found the game a minute later. It had a two player mode, which meant they'd have to decide who the odd girl out was. To do so, they called upon one of the oldest, finest traditions of decision making that mankind has ever known: Paper-Rock-Scissors. Naturally, Usagi lost both rounds and had to watch as Ami and Makoto got to play first.

"Heh, since you've never played before, no hard feelings when I beat you, 'kay," Makoto said to Ami.

"I don't really mind."

"Eh. I'm going over to the crane machines. Tell me when someone's lost," Usagi said.

"No problem," Makoto gave the thumbs up signal.

Usagi wandered over to the other end of the store. As usual, Crane Game Raider Joe was emptying out of them out. A crowd had gathered around him to watch him. Usagi could never figure out how he did it, or why.

She looked down at her test results again. Angrily, she crumpled it up and threw it over her shoulder, presumably into the trash bin behind her.

"Hey," a voice grumpily shouted behind her.

She spun around, and immediately her expression went sour.

"Oh crap. It's that guy," her mind reeled.

"I guess I should count myself lucky it wasn't a rock," he said.

He grabbed from where it came to rest atop his head.

Then he recognized her.

"Oh, you. Hello, dumpling head."

"What are you going here?" she asked testily. "Hey, don't uncrumple that!"

"Wow, only 30 points," he said.

He tossed her the paper.

"Study harder, lumpy," he said. "I'm here to see my friend, if you don't mind."

"Mind your own damn business!" she said heated and embarrassed.

Then it hit her.

"Friend?" she asked, becoming a little curious.

"Hey, Mamoru," Motoki shook his hand. "What's up, pal."

"Oh, of course," Usagi thought dismally.

"Eh, you know, just this and that," Mamoru shrugged. "Nowhere near as busy as you, I'm sure. So how's the arcade business working out for you?"

"Oh, fine, fine," Motoki said. "It's not much, but it keeps the bills paid. So no complaints here."

"You're this guy's friend, Motoki?" Usagi asked.

"Yep. Mamoru and I go _way_ back."

He then chose that unfortunate time to give Mamoru a friendly pat on the shoulder on his hurt, left shoulder. Usagi covered her mouth with her hands when Mamoru grunted in pain and dang near fell over.

"Whoa. What's wrong Mamo?" Motoki asked.

He steadied his friend.

"The Ring get a little rough again last night?"

"Yeah, something like that," Mamoru replied straining.

"Here, have a seat, man," Motoki said. "You have got to take better care of yourself. You're going to land yourself in the hospital one of these days."

"This happens a lot?" Usagi asked.

Motoki shrugged with a faint sense of frustration.

"Yeah. Mamoru's always been into martial arts, kick boxing, and the sort. He never seems to pass up an opportunity to get himself bruised up."

"Thank you. Really, Motoki, I'm alright. Just got a little careless, and I'm paying for it now. I'll be back to 100% in a couple of days."

"If you say so," Motoki said, sounding completely unconvinced.

"How did that happen?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru turned 'round on the stool he sat partially to face her.

"Things just got a little wild during a sparring match. Nothing major."

"Oh, yeah, nothing major except for the sore-as-hell shoulder," Usagi deadpanned.

"Oh, shoot! She beat me!" they heard Makoto shout from the games.

"Looks like I better go," Usagi said. "You see later, Motoki. And Jerkface, take it easy and let that shoulder heal."

"Later, Usagi."

"Later, Meatball head."

"Tsukino! Tsukino, Usagi," she corrected him angrily.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he smirked back.

She returned to her friends' sides.

"Hey, what happened while I was gone?"

"You sure you never played before, because that was some real smooth button mashing," Makoto asked Ami.

"Never, I swear," Ami giggled. "I never knew how fun this could be."

"Well, then, you're a total natural," Makoto said. "Have at her, Usagi."

"Alright," Usagi hopped into the now vacant chair in front of the game.

"Prepare to meet your match, Ami. Ooh, look, a two player competitive mode."

Two minutes later…

"Wow, I won again," Ami said giddily.

Usagi just stared on slack-jawed.

"Like I said. A total natural," Makoto said. "Way a go, Ami."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Ami blushed.

The prodigy looked at her wristwatch.

"Shouldn't we get going to Naru's soon?" Ami asked. "It's getting kind of late?"

"Motoki has a phone you can use, so you can call you parents before we go," Usagi said.

"…She won't care, believe me," Ami replied with a hint of bitterness.

Usagi and Makoto exchanged awkward looks. Usagi cleared her throat and Makoto whistled uncomfortably.

"Well, in that case, let's just go," Makoto said.

"Just give me a second to see if Naru's gone home," Usagi said.

A few minutes, the girls left the arcane.

"Hey, see you later, Motoki," Usagi called.

"Later, girls," he called.

"By…" Makoto waved at him.

She lingered behind until Usagi pulled her out by the arm, with Ami pushing from behind. She sparsely seemed to notice. She kept her eye on Motoki until he was out of sight.

Mamoru glanced at the trio as they left.

"Mizuno, Ami," he muttered.

"Oh, you know her," Motoki asked.

"I know _of_ her. She's the smartest kids in all Japan."

"Really?" Motoki replied, impressed.

"Heh, looks like Dumpling Head just found her ace in the hole."

* * *

They took the bus over to Naru's. It was a certainly a very nice abode. It was a yellow paint job, split level place with a black shingled roof and very well-crafted trappings all about. It certainly lived up to how would expect the home of a family that owned a jewelry store to look.

Usagi knocked on the door. After a moment or two, Naru answered it.

"Hi, guys. Come on in," Naru welcomed them.

She pushed the door all the way open, and then stepped back and out of the way. Immediately, she and Usagi started chattering nonstop about the several topics at once. Makoto and Ami stepped in past them and looked around. As they thought, the place was spotless and immaculate.

"So where will we be studying?" Ami asked.

"Up in my room," Naru replied. "Follow me."

She started up the stairs directly opposite the door. Usagi, then Ami, and lastly, Makoto followed her. Then Makoto thought she smelled something funny. She stopped and sniffed the air a few times. she wrinkled her nose and plugged it with her hand. She glanced to her left from where it seemed to be coming from.

In another room, the kitchen, was a door on the wall just across from where tomboy stood, hanging slightly open.

"Hey, Mako, you coming?" Usagi called from the top.

"Hey, where's that door lead?" Makoto pointed.

"Oh, that. That goes to the basement," Naru answered.

She came back down, and blinked in surprise.

"Hey, I closed that."

She went over and pulled the basement door closed it again. She scratched her head in confusion. She shrugged, at a loss.

"It's been so weird around here lately. The neighbors' dog has been barking at our house non-stop for a week now. On the same day that mutt started going crazy, I came home and there were little pieces of shredded newspaper all over the living room, leading to the basement. Other than that, nothing was out of place. It was really weird. On top of that, none of these stupid doors want to stay shut anymore," the petite brunette said.

"What about the smell?" Makoto asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I have no idea. It just started yesterday evening. Mom thinks we might have mice, but I haven't seen or heard any rodents skittering around," Naru admitted.

"Did you call an exterminator?" Ami then asked.

"Yep, they're coming over this evening. I hope nothing's too bad down there."

"I can see why you wanted to do this over at Usagi's house," Makoto said. "I take it this never happens."

"Not before," Naru replied. "Come on, we better get to studying. Thankfully, nothing bizarre ever happens there."

The quartet got to work right away. Though, most of the studying on Usagi and Makoto's part could be defined as them getting corrected by either Naru or Ami. The latter quickly found that Makoto wasn't much better off than Usagi as far as school went. Another problem was that Usagi seemed distracted all night.

"Hey, pay attention!" Naru poked her friend in the arm.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Let's see, so the Edo Period is when the ninja fell out of use, right?" Usagi asked, coming back to reality.

"We're on math now, Usagi," Makoto chuckled.

"What? Let's see…let's see. Here it is! What page?"

"374, problem 12," Ami said not taking her eyes off her work.

"Hey, is this right?" Makoto asked Ami.

"Y=7, not 42. X=6, not 13," Ami corrected.

"What? Oh geez!" Makoto exclaimed unhappily. "I thought I had it that time! How did you get 7 and 6?"

"Let me show you," Ami held up her notes.

She began running the brunette through step by step.

Naru noticed Usagi spacing out again.

"Usagi, stay focused," Naru scolded.

She sighed, and turned to Ami.

"Alright, you help Makoto. I'll tackle Usagi's poor attention span. Alright, this is how you do problem 12. Usagi, pay attention!"

"I am," Usagi whined.

Naru rolled her eyes and set her pencil down.

"Alright, what's on your mind?" she asked.

Usagi looked away uncomfortably.

"It is the test?" Naru asked.

"Yeah…"

"So it's more than that," Naru said thoughtfully.

Then she smiled mischievously.

"Is about Motoki? Did he ask you out, or did you finally confess?"

Usagi's face must have turned the deepest shade of red any of them had any seen, and she shook her head vigorously.

"Ah-ha! It's about loo-oove," Naru practically sang.

"It…it _is not_," Usagi denied.

She folded her arms defiantly.

"It's about a lot of things," Usagi said unevenly.

"Love included," Naru leaned in and whispered to Ami and Makoto.

"Is not!"

"Heehee, your face says otherwise."

"Ah, man, I was going to ask Motoki out," Makoto moped.

"_Were?_" Ami asked.

"Until I met Usagi today, I've _never_ made friends this fast before," Makoto whispered.

"School's tough, mom's always getting on my case, and it's study, study, study," Usagi said. "Life just seems soooo difficult now!"

"And then there's Motoki," Naru added, not about to let her friend deny anything. "Everyone right here's in the same boat, and so it's not like you're alone here. Now let's get through this math together, okay?"

"Okay."

In an hour, Usagi managed to force her way through math studies. With that done, she slumped over from mental exhaustion.

"Let's do some English," Ami said.

Usagi replied with a whimpering whine.

She took her out English book and cleared her throat to begin reviewing.

"H-hello…it…is…nice…to…uh…meat-o, er, no…meet you…"

"Eh, not too bad, but it still needs a lot of work," Naru said. "Let me show you."

Nightfall came as the hours dragged on, and still they toiled on. They heard the front door open.

"Naru, I'm home," they heard Naru's mother call.

"Welcome back, mom," Naru called.

She turned to the group.

"I'll be right back. Who want a soda?"

"Ooh, me, me," Usagi waved her hand on in the air.

"I'll take one, please," Ami said.

"Me three," Makoto added.

Naru went downstairs, leaving them alone. They could make out the girl asking how the sale went before the word left earshot.

"We must have cleaned out half the store," Naru's mother replied.

She sat down at the kitchen for relax for a moment. The doorbell rang.

"That'll probably be the exterminators. Be a darling and let them in, Naru."

"Okay."

Naru answered the door. Sure enough, two men in overalls were waiting to be let in.

"Miyamoto's Extermination Services," the older of the two said.

"I'm so glad you're here. The basement's this way."

"I…am…looking…for…fee…buke…stork, er, store. How was that?" Usagi asked.

"You got a few words wrong," Ami replied.

She began running Usagi through the words when Naru came back up the sodas.

"Hey, guys. Anyone thirsty?"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Makoto reached for one.

Naru was about to start passing them out when suddenly, the entire house went dark. The four were shrouded in darkness.

"EEK!" Usagi screamed, becoming frightened very quickly.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's just a power outage!" Makoto said crankily.

"But I'm afraid of the dark!" Usagi wept.

"Usagi, stop being such a wimp," Naru said.

"Just relax, any creepy that sneaks has to come through me," Makoto said confidently. "No sweat."

"Hey, everyone alright up there?" they heard Naru's mom call from downstairs.

"We're fine," Ami called back. "Just a little startled."

"Hey, mom, what happened?" Naru asked looking out into the dark house.

She could see the beam of her mother's flashlight shining up at them.

"I'm going down to the basement. We must have tripped one of the switches or something. Here, take this extra flashlight."

Naru came down to get.

"Thank, mom."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Osaka, but where is your fuse box?" they heard one of the exterminators ask.

"Coming," she called.

She opened the door to the basement and disappeared from view.

"I'm so sorry about this, gentlemen."

Naru turned to back up the stairs. She got back to the girls, and shined the light on them. Usagi still looked nervous. Makoto and Ami were gathering up their books. A scratching at the window made Naru turn the torch around. There, a black cat sat on the window sill just outside, pawing at the glass.

"Hey, isn't that the same cat from earlier?" Makoto asked.

"Aw, she found us again," Ami beamed.

"Weirdo cat," Usagi said. "Is it yours', Naru?"

"You know mom won't let me have any pets. She's allergic."

She climbed to her feet and opened the window. The cat leapt onto Usagi's shoulders again. All four of them laughed at this.

"Yep, same cat," Usagi said.

"Aw, she's sweet," Naru said.

She approached and held out her hand to pet. The cat sniffed her hand and growled. Naru withdrew it, alarmed.

"Hey, that's my friend, Naru. You be nice now," Usagi scolded.

The cat jumped down to the floor and continued sniffing Naru. It let out a hiss, and then continued sniffing along the floor, heading out into the upstairs hall.

"Whoa, she must smell something she _really_ doesn't like," Makoto observed.

She and Ami got up. The four girls followed the cat out into hall, where it continued to growl and hiss at something they couldn't see. They just looked at one another and shrugged, figuring that all but confirmed the presence of mice. All four of them almost jumped out of their skin when a terrified scream pierced the air from the basement. It was Naru's mother.

"Mommy!" Naru yelled.

She dashed down the stairs with Makoto right beside her. Ami followed after, and Usagi hesitated on the staircase. The cat looked up at her expectantly.

"Oo-oo-oooh, scarrrry," Usagi shivered. "Guys, don't leave me alone up here. Guuuys!"

She ran down after them, more petrified of being alone in the dark than whatever was down in the basement. Naru swung the basement door open.

"Mom! Mom!" she shouted down into the darkness.

When no answer came, she started to run down the stairs, but Makoto yanked her back.

"Stop, you dummy!" Makoto ordered.

"BUT MOM…!"

"I'm going down first!" Makoto barked.

"Run! Run!" they heard a voice from the stairs yell.

One of the exterminators burst through the opening, almost knocking over Naru and Makoto in the process. The girls gasped when they saw him. He was covered in deep gashes, blood, and sweat all over. His overalls were torn and shredded. He carried Naru's mother over his shoulder.

"Get out of…!" he started to shout, but he never got a chance to finish. He cried out as something unseen yanked the feet out from under him and he slammed facedown onto the floor.

He lost grip of Naru's mother when he fell and she was flung away from him. Makoto was quick to act. She dove feet first under Mrs. Osaka's fall. She caught the woman in her lap. The man screamed and begged as he dragged into the darkness in a flash. Ami barely managed to reach out to grab his hand, but it was slick from the blood it was drenched so her grip slipped. And then he was gone, swallowed by that thick wall of black. He was down the stairs in an instant, but he screamed all the way.

"No! No, please!" they heard him beg.

He was interrupted by a loud, slimy crackle_**.**_ He let out another piercing cry again, a dying howl of agony.

Then all was dead silent down in the depths of the cellar. The girls were too frightened to move. Breathing in and out deeply a few times, Makoto found her courage. Naru shined the light on her mother, and looked down at her. Makoto also inspected the woman she cradled in her arms. Mrs. Osaka was in critical condition. She was out cold and bleeding badly from a nasty gash on her shoulder, though still better off than that poor man.

"Is she…?" Naru asked worried.

"She'll live," Makoto replied. "Close that door."

Naru didn't hesitate to comply.

"Let me see her," Ami stooped down next to Makoto.

The child prodigy produced small flashlight from her bag and shined on it the wounded woman. Makoto gently carried Mrs. Osaka out onto the front porch, and then set her down just as gently. Ami and Naru followed her out. While Ami bound her wound, Naru picked up the phone and tried to dial for help. After dialing, nothing happened. The phone was dead, too. Usagi stood, petrified, watching that door. The moonlight streamed in through a window, making it just visible to her.

"The phone's dead," Naru whispered. "Usagi, run next door and get the neighbors. They'll call an ambulance for us."

Usagi didn't need to be told twice to flee from that house. The blonde flew across the lawn over to the neighbors. She rang the doorbell and waited.

Makoto took the flashlight from Naru. She went to the basement door and grabbed the knob.

"Mako, what are you doing?" Naru hissed.

Makoto looked to her and put a finger to her lips. She opened the door a crack and shined the light down into the dark at the bottom of the flight.

She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out at what she saw. Her eyes were wide and horrified. Down at the bottom of the steps was the shredded form of the exterminator that had bore Naru's mother out. Hunched over him like some kind of animal or beast. It had its back to the steps. What it was she couldn't tell, but it appeared to be a naked man bald from head to toe, or some kind of large dog creature. Its body was twisted and unnatural, as though it had been furiously beaten several times. It was skinny as if it had been starved. She could have counted its uneven and crooked ribcage if she wanted. Its spine wasn't straight from top to bottom, but curved like it had been injured very badly. Its pale gray skin was covered with bruises, lacerations, and horrid scars all over.

It was also covered in blood. It had its head bowed down directly against the man's stomach, making jerking motions with it. Makoto could hear the crunching chewing noises it was making. She heaved, growing nauseous. It was eating him!

She turned back to Naru who lingered in the front room.

"Out of the house, now," she whispered. "Go!"

She took a single step back.

"Naru, go!" Makoto hissed.

Usagi stepped into view, she was breathing hard.

"I tried both neighbors. Nobody's answering their door," she whined.

She bumped the cat. Startled, she jumped away and screamed shrilly. Makoto flinched then froze completely. Makoto's head slowly turned and looked down the stairs. Her felt a chill go down her spine.

"Oh, crap," her thought.

The thing in the basement had stopped feasting on the dead man. It hadn't turned around yet, but had straightened up into an upright position on its haunches, a lot like a canine. But upright as it was, its body shape more resembled a man's that had badly warped to be able to sit like that. It turned its body partway to the stairs and slowly twisted its inhumanly long neck to look at Makoto. She felt as though her whole body became as lead staring at its face. Its mouth and nose was like that of a canine's as well, but the overall shape of the head was still more human. Makoto's face twisted in disgust upon seeing the chunks of flesh hanging from its maw. But the feature that brought utter terror to her heart were those eyes. Those black eyes. She couldn't tell if its eyes were just black or if they were empty eye sockets. Either way, she could feel its gaze upon her.

Its jaws opened wide, revealing two rows of yellow, nasty, sharp teeth as it let loose a roar. It was light-pitched and shrill, like the sound a dog makes when it's frightened or angry. Only instead of a series of short barks, it was a long, ear-ringing bellow.

It turned fullly towards Makoto. It raised its arm-like appendages in the air. At the end of each of its five, bony fingers was a long bone-like claw that dripped with blood. Then it stood up on all fours, in a position almost like an elongated frog. On all fours, it must have stood four feet off the ground, and was about the mass of a large human male. Then it rushed up the stairs quickly, making a flailing sort of motion, its claws clattering against the wood steps. Makoto slammed the door and braced herself against it.

"Everyone! Run! Run now!" she hollered.

Before anyone had the chance to move at all, the thing slammed against the door. Wood burst and splintered all around the frame as it was knocked off its hinges on the very first try. Makoto was violently slammed into the floor along with the door. She hit her head, and it felt as though the world spun and exploded around her. Usagi and Naru were utterly horror struck by what they saw, and unable to budge.

It tossed aside the door, which was partially cover Makoto. Then it leaned in close to her and raised one of its clawed hands into the air, ready to strike. It took in a deep breath. Then it paused, and sniffed at the air a few more times. Usagi whimpered in a low voice it as looked _right at her_. It stepped over the hapless Makoto as if she were nothing. Its claws clicked on the wooden floor as it strode across at the blonde. Usagi stepped back slowly to keep the distance between the two of them.

Naru felt panic overtake her and she screamed, and stumbled back. She only managed to back up against the wall. Ami poked her head around the corner. Her covered her mouth with her hand to keep quiet. The thing regarded Naru with annoyance and smacked her with the back of its hand. She hit the ground violently and was still. Ami gasped and disappeared from view again, uncertain of what to do.

"Naru!" Usagi cried.

The thing snarled at her in response. The message was clear: keep still and keep quiet. She backed into the stairwell railing at the base now. It stepped in close, less than a foot from Usagi's face. The rancid smell made her sick. Then it spoke, but not a man's noise, it was in that same shrill noise as before and barely coherent:

"_Give me your life."_

It raised its claw to strike, but the cat leapt onto its face and began clawing and biting at it. The thing backed around in circles, struggling with the feline. This brought Usagi back to her senses and she ran for it. It grabbed the cat and hurled it away. The beast looked and spied Usagi again. Its lips curled up either in a horrible smile, or it was just baring its teeth. Usagi would be out the door in just another step. Just as she passed over the threshold, it grabbed her leg and tossed her back inside. She landed with a dull _thud_ on her side in the middle of the floor.

She looked up and saw it about to pounce. She kicked out with her feet and managed to land a hit on its face. It just growled at her and grabbed both her legs in one hand and prepared to rip her apart with the other. Ami dashed in holding up a wooden chair. With every ounce of strength the little teen could muster, she broke it over the thing's head and back. It lurched forward slightly and loosed its grip on Usagi's legs. It lashed out at Ami with its free hand. She held what remained of the chair in front of her like a shield. With a single swipe of its claws it reduced the object into splinters, and while it protected Ami from the brunt of the blow, the force still hit poor Ami like a concrete block. Her body smashed into the railing of the stairwell three feet from where she had just been hard enough to make it crack and groan under the stress. She slumped down in a limp sitting position with her head bowed, out cold.

Usagi pulled both legs free of the thing's, withdrew them in close, and kicked with both of them. She kicked the thing in the chest, knocking it off balance. She flipped herself over and started to run away on all fours into the kitchen. She planned the retreat through the connected rooms of the house and back. It was so close behind her she could feel its breath. Just as they passed Makoto, the girl suddenly sprang up into a sitting position and gripped the monstrosity by the chin and the top of its head in her hands. The creature was so stunned that it didn't have time to react before she, with one, swift jerk, twisted its neck hard enough that it broke with a loud '_crack_'!

The thing fell to the ground next to her lifelessly.

"Makoto!" Usagi cried, relieved.

The brawny girl hopped to her feet and looked at Usagi apologetically.

"Sorry," Makoto said genuinely. "I had to tri…WHAT THE HELL?"

The beast jumped to its feet again, its head hanging limply to the side from its broken neck. Usagi begun to scream nonstop and ran past it. Makoto backed away, utterly stunned by the sight. It grabbed its head and held it up so that it was in its 'normal' position. With a 'crunch', the bones reconnected.

Usagi grabbed hold of Makoto, trying to pull her to the door. But the bigger girl shrugged her grip off.

"Go! I'll hold it off!" she shouted firmly.

Usagi was about to argue, but the thing advanced on them again. Usagi sprinted over to Naru and tried to wake her.

It lunged at Makoto, but she stopped it dead with a simple forward snap kick to its face, followed by a sidekick to the side of its head, a spinning roundhouse to the other side of its head, and finally a jumping spin kick to its chest. It crashed onto its back on the floor. Makoto brought her right foot, readying to hit it with an ax kick. Its hand shot up and grabbed her leg, stopping the assault right there. It then stabbed its claws upwards at Makoto's other leg and thigh. She blocked the attack with her hand and punched it in the face with the other. It let go of her and stepped back. Before she could try anything else it was upright again.

Ami moaned painfully and slowly looked up. All she could see at the moment was one, dark blur, but she could hear what was happening. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear her vision.

Makoto leapt at it again with a jumping side kick, but it ducked out of the way and swiped at her. She was light on her feet and just missed its attack. She let loose with a sweeping ax kick from left to right, but it ducked again. It swiped out, but Makoto jumped over its attack and aimed a knee at its head. It jumped back a pace and her assault missed again.

Makoto grinned. Now it was right up against the wall like she had planned. The creature glanced back and realized what a precarious position it was in. It looked back at her just in time for her to attack with what would be the first of many wallops with her foot. She didn't intend to stop. She was going to unleash a whole series of them until the thing fell to the ground in an unconscious or dead heap. She foot came at right and was an inch from its face.

It ducked to the side at an impossibly last split second and lunged forward as she foot kicked the air harmlessly where it had just been. It stabbed its claws the side of her leg and outer thigh. Makoto's mouth opened as if to scream, but only a tin squeak came out. Then it grabbed her by the shoulder and the hip and hurled her across the house. She slammed into the side of the stairwell right next to Ami. Ami stumbled away and out the door.

Usagi spun around while still on her knees next to Naru. It bounded at her friend who could only watch it come through senseless, glazed over eyes. Usagi didn't see what happened next. She sprinted out the door, practically flying over the porch and onto the grass. Ahead of her, Ami ran across the street towards the house opposite of the Osaka's and began pounding on the front door frantically with both fists.

Usagi heard a crash and glanced back at the house. Something was thrown through one of the windows and it landed on the lawn not far from her. It was the still form of Makoto. There were five long gashes from her left shoulder clear down to her thigh from a single slash of the creature's sharp nails. The sound of something landing on the porch brought her attention back to the house. That _thing_ had jumped through the now open window onto the railing of the porch. It dropped onto the ground and crawled over to Makoto. When it was hunched over her, its face turned up at the sky and it roared a triumphant howl like a wolf standing over its prey.

Ami whipped around when she heard it and flattened herself against the door. Usagi stopped running, but every fiber in her body wanted to just keep going. If she did, she knew that thing would kill Makoto, Ami, Naru, and Mrs. Osaka. Without thinking, she grabbed one of the decorative rocks that lined either side of the driveway and flung at the monster.

The rock impacted with the beast's head and bore it to the ground. It howled in pain. There was now a nasty gash in the side of its head. It glared at Usagi, flipped itself over and charged at her. She grabbed another rock and threw it. It struck the beast in the back, but it did not stop. Usagi throw one more, which made it stumble briefly, and then turned tail in full on retreat.

"Meow."

A look through her peripheral and she spotted the cat sitting next to where she had been standing. It was still alive? Not only that, but there was something different now. She didn't stop to look or think about it, but she could have sworn she saw a golden patch a fur upon the feline's head in the shape of a crescent moon.

Usagi ran out onto the pavement as fast as her legs would a carry her. She could hear the abomination's claws loudly clicking against the sidewalk. She dared a look back. It was chasing after her, running just like a dog would. And it was gaining. When the girl and the beast ran past, Ami instinctively grabbed the door knob and found the house was unlocked. She slipped inside and tried to turn on the light, but found the power was out there, too. she pulled out her little flashlight and shined it around the abode. She gasped at what she saw.

A family of three were strewn across the floor in the living room. They had been ripped to shreds, and by the markings, Ami could tell that they were slaughtered in their own home by the very same creature pursuing Usagi.

* * *

"Help! Somebody help me! Please!" Usagi begged.

she raced through the streets, her feet pounding the concrete as she went.

A disgruntle old woman opened her upstairs window to peer out and see who was causing all that ruckus. She let out a little scream when she sighted the teen being chased by some kind of wild animal. She went back into the house.

"Shigeru, call the police!" she yelled.

Usagi could see it come up alongside her out of the corner of her eye. She mouth fell open as she saw it ready itself to pounce. It sprang into the air, and she dived out of the way just in time. She rolled, pushed herself back up with her legs, and was running again. One good thing all those mornings scrambling to get to school had done for her. She was light on her feet.

By now, she was crying again.

"I don't wanna die! Just leave me alone! Mom! Dad! Somebody!" she shrieked.

She continued to blubber, scream, and yell while fleeing from it. Dodging and scrambling away from it as best as she could. It managed to catch her in the back, tearing at her uniform top. She called for help again.

* * *

"Have you discovered anything new about the enemy?"

"Afraid not, and all the rocks were just your plain, ordinary priceless gems," a young raven haired young man answered. "I've already turned them over to the police."

He walked alone along a dark city street with only the streetlights to illuminate the way ahead. He spoke into a device that would not hit the Japanese market until the mid 1990s, a mobile phone.

"Do you have any other leads, kid?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Not at the moment, but I'll keep searching," he said.

He stopped and looked around. He had just heard a scream? After a few seconds, he started walking again.

"Hello? Hello?" the person called.

"Sorry about that. I thought I heard something… There it is again."

"What do you hear?"

"We'll continue this later. I have to go."

"Hey, wait-!" ***Click***

* * *

She dashed around the corner into an alley. She intended to run into a crowded street, but her pursuer landed right in front of her. She tried to skid to a halt before slamming into it, but couldn't. She bounced off the creature and landed on her bum on the pavement.

"Ow!" she yelped.

She turned over and tried to run again, but it quickly blocked her again, and again. No matter which way she tried to run, there it was. It grabbed her by the waist and pushed her flat against the back of a car. There it held her while its other clawed hand came up.

"No. Please!" she begged.

They heard the cat growling again. They both looked at the little animal standing right there next to them. Now Usagi could see the crescent moon symbol upon its brow. It was on its side with the points facing upwards, but she could still tell what it was. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. She and the beast both shielded their eyes, and when the light faded...in place of the cat there was now a woman.

She wielded a fauchard spear that had a single curved blade. She stabbed at the creature, but it was too quick and hopped backwards away from the thrust. She then stepped forward, planting herself firmly between Usagi and the abomination.

Usagi looked at her rescuer. She was a very beautiful, tall woman with long black hair, reddish-brown eyes, and pale skin. She was certainly taller than Makoto and had a lean frame. The woman wore matching black pants, a knee length black, long-sleeved tunic, with black leather boots and gloves. Usagi could hear the rustle of some kind of metal, like little chain links, under the heavy top.

"Can you stand?" the woman asked without looking at her.

"Y-yes."

"Stand."

Usagi clumsily stood up, and looked past her defender at the black-eyed monstrosity that threatened them.

"What _is_ that…thing?" Usagi asked in a frightened whisper.

"He is The Rake."

"Who…who are you?"

"The name's Luna."

With that, Luna squared off with the Rake. It made the first move, rushing in close and attacking with its claws. Luna twirled the spear, blocking every attack and then making one of her own, which the beast ducked and rolled out of the path of. It counter-striked, and Luna jumped clean over it, landing behind it.

She brought the blade around again, but The Rake flipped out of the path of the attack. Then with a single bound, she was at Usagi's side again.

"Tell me. Do you want live, Tsukino, Usagi?"

"What?"

The Rake charged again from the front which Luna met with her own surge forward. She raised the pole weapon to attack. At the last minute, though, The Rake ducked down low and slid past Luna. It lashed out with claws. Luna darted forward. At first, it seemed as though she had avoided it attack again.

Luna gritted her teeth painfully. She looked down at the shredded pant leg and deep cuts. She turned to face it again. The Rake let out a laugh, which sounded more a moist choking sound than anything any human would call a chortle. The message was clear, though.

"Do you want to live, Miss Tsukino?" Luna called to the girl.

"What do ya mean? Yes! What kind of question is that!?"

Then like magic, Luna was standing by Usagi's side yet again. The girl stumbled back in surprise.

"Then you must save yourself," she said to the girl.

"What? But can't you…"

Luna swiped at The Rake, stopping another attack from it and cut loose with a flurry of strikes, which it easily evaded. It retreated several paces, and Luna began to breathe hard and clutched her leg, falling onto one knee. Somehow, her cuts seemed to be getting worse. The Rake bared its teeth.

"I lack the power to slay creatures such as this."

The Rake was on Luna again with the speed of a lightning bolt. Usagi brought both hands up to her face in horror. She couldn't watch. The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion. She saw it launch itself into the air, both hands spread wide apart and fingers outstretched, and closing in fast.

Luna's arm shot up. She held some kind of rope in her arm. She shouted something in a language Usagi couldn't understand. The rope seemed to come alive, coiling around The Rake and bearing it backwards to the ground. The Rake screeched and fought against the restraints.

Luna limped back over the Usagi as fast as she could.

"Are you okay?"

"No. Wounds from The Rake don't feel by themselves, they only spread and weaken the victim. Usagi, if you want to save both your friends and yourself, _you_ must kill this eldritch thing!"

"Me? I can't kill that thing! It's impossible!"

"Then it will continue to maim, kill, and destroy, starting with you, then your friends, their families, and worse! It remembers the scent of its victims and will seek out those who share it! _Your_ family will be next! That seal won't hold him for long, either!"

That got Usagi's attention. She pictured her mother, father, and little Shingo being terrorized and slaughtered by that thing.

"But how?" Usagi begged.

"Like this," Luna replied.

She touched her index and middle fingers to Usagi's forehead and again speak in that odd tongue. Usagi gasped. She felt warm, no, burning hot, and like her body felt like it just burst from all the energy she suddenly felt. She felt invigorated far beyond her wildest imaginings.

"Awaken, Celestial Warrior of the Cosmos!" Luna shouted.

Then she stepped back and looked at Usagi. The girl blinked as the feeling of power within her faded. Luna looked at her in astonishment.

"No, this can't be! You didn't awaken?"

"What are you talking about?"

Luna looked back at The Rake, which had nearly freed itself now. The rope snapped as it pulled free. She turned back to Usagi.

"You must flee. Now!"

Usagi didn't need to be told twice. She turned and ran once more just as it broke loose. She could hear it come up behind rapidly. Luna stood firm, but it leapt right over her after its prey.

Usagi looked back and it almost upon her. Luna pursued as best she could with a hurt leg. Usagi raised both arms in the air in a feeble attempt to guard herself. When it was within two meters of her, she became so petrified that her heart actually skipped a beat.

"NNNNNOOOOO!" she screamed.

Her entire body jerked as that burning energized sensation returned. Luna grinned when she realized what was happening. She slowed to a stop and watched. The girl stood tall as pure white, swirling light like a small funnel cloud burst forth from her. She stood in the middle of vortex. The Rake stopped dead and fell onto its back in shock. It shielded its black eyes from the blinding light, which it could not bear to look at. It hissed contemptuously at the gleam.

From the skies above, came the sound of something whistling through the air like a missile. Luna looked up and saw a small glowing projectile heading right for Usagi. When it reached her, her hand shot straight up and grabbed the small, stick-like object. The whole world seemed to explode into light for just an instant. When it cleared, Usagi the ordinary school girl no longer stood there. Luna smiled.

"Celestial Warrior Moon," she identified the person before her.

The item Usagi held aloft and even was a steel sword hilt padded in leather. But this was not just an ordinary sword, but a double-bladed sword with long, sleek shimmering curved blades attached to both ends of the hilt. Their curves faced opposite directions, with up going upwards and the other downwards. This would allow the wielder to keep cutting indefinitely at long as they could keep the blades spinning.

Of course, the sword wasn't the only thing that was different. The girl's attire had also completely changed.

Upon her face was a silver metal masquerade-style mask that fit over her forehead, eyes, nose, and covered the upper sides of her face, but not the ears. Before wrapping around the back of her head, the mask receded with rounded borders into a simple band in the back. It was decorated with interconnecting spiral designs engraved in some kind of dark gray material. The same symbol of the golden crescent moon adorned the middle of the forehead of the mask.

Her upper torso was protected by an elegant form fitting silver chest plate, which became segmented in the stomach region for movement. The front of the chest plate was also decorated with the golden crescent moon symbol, and around weaved runes in a script long forgotten. Matching shoulder and elbow guards glistened in the starlight. She wore a pair of hourglass finger gauntlets. Any part of the arm not protected by the guards or gauntlets was covered in chain mail.

Her lower half was covered in what could only be described as an armored battle ballgown with several smaller silver scale-style segmented plates covered it. The small plates went down just past Usagi's knees in a receding triangle pattern until only one dangled at the bottom of them, and the blue cotton underneath them ended just above her ankles. Her feet bore silver steel footwear and matching greaves. The cloth of the skirt, itself, was white.

Usagi lowered herself into a fighting stance she didn't even know she knew. Her held one arm outstretched in front of her with the palm open and facing upwards. Behind her, she held the curved blades up and level.

"What am I doing? Like I could really use this thing," she thought.

"Celestial Soldier," The Rake rasped.

It rushed in with its limbs flailing madly, ready to kill this newly awakened warrior. Reflexively, Usagi deepened her stance and gripped the hilt with both hands. Without even needing to think about it, she swung one of the blades around just as the scuttler neared. So mad in its intent to kill, it was unable to stop its forward motion in time.

The blow connected. The Rake backed away, screaming at almost ear-splitting volumes. Its arm harmlessly hit the pavement while it clutched the gaping wound where the limb formerly roamed.

Usagi blinked. Had she really done that? The Rake came for her again, and she straightened up, spinning the blades out in front of her protectively.

"Whoa? When'd I learn to do this?" her mind reeled.

She took a step forward and cut the beast from the left shoulder down to the right outer thigh. The other blade spun forward, and she angled it lower, slashing it across the chest. It screeched and turned around, trying to retreat, but the instant it had its back to her, Usagi thrust out and skewered it from behind.

She withdrew the blade and it stumbled away. It started to run away, but then suddenly turned and charged again. Usagi was ready, though and prepared to counter-strike. Then The Rake leaped high into the air and landed to her side. She turned, but it leapt again, and kept this up. Usagi sliced through the air all around, but she could not keep track of the beast.

Suddenly it was mere inches from her. She screamed, but instead of backing away like she usually would, she acted swiftly, she brought her armored elbow down on its face and knocked onto its back. She stepped forward with the sword raised above her head and brought it down at the monster. It rolled out of the way just in the nick of time. Raw energy blasted in all directions when the blade hit the ground, sending The Rake flying several yards. He bounced, rolled, and skidded on the ground before coming to rest.

This time, when The Rake picked itself up and ran at her again. She prepared to block, but instead of attacking her, it only grabbed its arm in its jaws, turned tailed, and fled.

"Don't let him escape!" Luna yelled.

"Ah! Right," Usagi answered.

Usagi ran after it, but found it difficult to keep up even with her energy reinvigorated and it being down on limb. She leaned forward into a bird run with her arms swept far back. It ducked into an alleyway, and Usagi followed.

"Oh thank goodness, a dead end," she thought.

Yet, it wasn't slowing down, which she thought was odd. It reached the wall and grabbed hold of it. Usagi cried out in bewilderment as it began to skitter up the wall of then ten storey building almost as fast as it covered even ground. She didn't stop, either, though.

"Usagi…" Luna called from the end of the alleyway. "Wait…"

Usagi put a foot to the wall and tried to run on up. She instead fell flat on her back. Luna winced upon seeing the impact.

"Ooh, ouch," she said.

"What?!" Usagi cried. "How come he gets to climb walls and I don't?"

The Rake was almost at the top, just a few steps and it could reattach its arm and disappear into the night. Its hand gripped the ledge, and it began to pull itself. A black booted foot stomped down on its hand. It let out a muffled scream, as it still carried its other arm in his mouth. Phantom Mask leaned forward over the ledge, putting even more weight on the foot that was flattening The Rake's remaining hand.

"Hey there, beautiful, don't you know it's rude to leave when the party's just getting started?" he asked it wryly.

With another stomp, he made the thing lose its grip and fall the several stories back down into the alley.

"Waaaah!" Usagi and Luna screamed upon seeing it falling at them.

They scurried out the way just before it impacted with the cement ground. They looked at the still form of the creature and the cracks in the pavement around it. The fiend slowly rolled over and rose again. It looked up and saw the two women. They both went into their fighting stances.

"Can't this thing die?!" Usagi asked exasperated. "You told me to kill it before went back to finish off my friends!"

"Yes. Usagi, throw your weapon, and shout "Moon Blade Boomerang"."

The Rake's final assault came swiftly.

"Moon Blade Boomerang!" Usagi shouted hastily.

She threw the butterfly sword. Both blades shined with the same light that had changed her before. The spinning projectile cleaved The Rake in half down the middle vertically. With a final death howl, the light burned it up into ash, and it was no more. The blade changed its trajectory and returned to Usagi. It stopped spinning and she grabbed it. From the pile of ashes that were all that remained of the beast, a glowing blue orb floating into the air and shot into the sky.

"What _was that?_" Usagi asked, confused and frustrated.

"I don't know, but you did it, Usagi," Luna congratulated her. "The Rake is no more."

"Indeed, she did," a voice from above said.

They glanced up and saw a man in a mask who sat on a narrow ledge on the wall about a story above them.

"Whoa. Who're you?" Usagi asked.

"They call me Phantom Mask, my fair ladies," he replied politely.

"The mysterious jewel thief," Usagi breathed.

"You just caught quite a prize. This thing had been a terror of the night since at least the 1600s," he said.

"Who are you really?" Luna demanded

"Phantom Mask will do. Heh. You're very interesting. What's your name, my pretty little soldier?"

"Uh… Celestial Warrior Moon," Usagi answered.

"Pretty Soldier Moon, I won't forget you."

With that, he vanished as quickly as he appeared. Luna and Usagi could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance and getting closer.

"Come on, we'd better go," Luna spoke hurriedly.

She leaned on Usagi, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. With a flash, she was a cat again, standing on Usagi's shoulder.

"Hold me tight and jump," she instructed.

"...Why?"

"Would you believe me if I said you could jump to the roof?"

Usagi's eyes brightened, and she nodded happily. She grabbed Luna in her arms and was about to push off of the ground.

"Jump from wall to wall! You're not Superman, so a single bound is out of the question."

"Awwww."

Usagi sighed. She jumped up, aiming for one of the walls, and pushed off with her feet, launching herself upwards at the opposite wall. They reached the roof after a dozen repeated jumps. Phantom Mask was nowhere in sight. Still, Usagi hopped from rooftop to rooftop back towards Naru's house, carrying Luna with her.

* * *

Not far away, a lone figure stood on another rooftop and watched them shrink into the distance. In the palm of his hand, he held the orb that had come out of The Rake. He smirked while observing them.

"Oh, how quaint. The Celestial Warriors have begun to awaken. Well, let them come. My eyeless little friend completed his mission. We have more than enough human lives...for now. Still, my Queen must be informed of this."

His body turned transparent before he and the orb faded from view altogether.


	4. Chapter 3: Becoming Acquainted

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Chapter 3**

**Becoming Acquainted**

In a dark place in the underground, in a wide cavern with great big pillars holding up its high ceiling, which served as the throne room of this Dark Kingdom. A court of monsters and other entities of the most eldritch corners of the earth had gathered before their queen this day. At the back of the chamber, there was a stone throne devoid of decoration. It rested on a stone platform, above the rest of the court. Stone steps lead up to it, though one didn't dare ascend them without invitation. On it sat their queen.

Her red orbs stared down at them, cold and unyielding. She rapped long fingernails against the granite armrest, giving the first signs of impatience. She ran a finger through one of her long, red curls. Her skin was the color of dusty earth. Her small but commanding form was adorned with plain robes and she wore a simple brass circlet around her head.

"Nephrite, where is that fool Jadeite?" she demanded. "He should have been here an hour ago! I want that latest report before noon!"

The tall, muscular man with long, black hair who had the appearance of being in his late twenties stood at attention before her. He wore a gray military-style uniform, though it lacked badges or stars. He didn't so much as flinch at her angered shout, his discipline keeping him at attention.

"I don't know, my Queen, but it's not like Jadeite to be this late. I could go look for him."

"No, you need to be here to for this report," Beryl replied. "But I do need someone to find him."

"That won't be necessary," Jadeite said, materializing.

A much shorter, younger man who looked around twenty or twenty-two with a short blonde hair was now standing next to Nephrite. He wore an identical uniform.

"You sure took your sweet time," Nephrite muttered _very _unhappily.

"Forgive my lateness, Queen Beryl, it won't happen again," Jadeite ignored him, instead opting to speak to his liege.

"It better not," Beryl said crossly. "Why were you late? Explain yourself!"

"It's all in my report," Jadeite replied, grinning. "I had more to compile for my presentation than usual, due to…unusual circumstances."

"The Keepers again?" Nephrite asked with a raised brow.

Beryl let out a low growl at the mention of them. The very mention of them made her blood burn.

"Well…yes and no."

"Begin your report," Beryl ordered impatiently. "What news of the legendary silvery crystal?"

She rested her head back and closed her eyes while listening.

"It's still missing, Queen Beryl, but believe me, I've had my pawns bringing in selected gems and crystals from all over the globe. Crystals said to be enchanted, that just might be the one. Thus far, I've managed to get them through right under Sailor V's nose," Jadeite boasted.

But then, his expression turned dark.

"…But the night before last, one of my smuggling operations was interrupted by a new enemy: a man in the mask. He refers to himself Phantom Mask. The meddler _also_ managed to get the team I had employed all arrested!"

Beryl's eyes shot up and she rose to her healed feet.

"These men you used are unaware of your true identity, I assume," she said, not asked.

"Yes, yes, of course, my Queen," Jadeite spoke frightened and hastily.

He held up his disarmingly.

"They think I'm just some collector, under one of many names I go by! I've never even met them. I always use Aqua under her human alias as my go-between. Even if the fools try to cut a deal with the police by telling everything they know, there's no way the thefts can be traced back to me."

"Give the order, and I will have the incompetents Jadeite hired terminated within the hour," Nephrite offered.

"No," Beryl replied. "The last thing we want to do is actively _give_ the human authorities (or the Keepers) reason to believe _anything_ aside from a series of jewel thefts has occurred. Leave them be to their fate, whatever it might be."

"As you wish," Nephrite bowed his head slightly.

"Why not let him? It's not like they can stop us," Jadeite shrugged.

"No, but humans have the uncanny ability to complicate matters wherever they stick their unwanted noses," Beryl replied. "Tell me more about this latest inconvenience."

"We suspect he is the same jewel thief that has been operating in Tokyo, Japan for the last six months," Jadeite explained. "Other than that, I can't really say much, yet. I haven't really had much time of investigate as of yet."

"It makes one wonder where these people keep coming from," Nephrite said.

"Indeed," Jadeite smirked. "Don't let this trouble you. The fool will be dealt with as soon as our little trap is ready."

"Very good," Beryl said. "Lacking the crystal, I presume you've begun labor on your other mission, then?"

"Yes, my Queen," Jadeite replied.

He held out his hand as if holding something in it. A black orb with glowing energy materialized in his palm. Beryl grinned and with a single gesture, it levitated over to her. She held out both hands and the orb floated in between them.

"Very good," she congratulated. "There must already be the energy of at least a hundred human lives in there."

She sent the orb off towards the ceiling above. An undefined mass within a crystalline coating hung from it. The orb phased right through the hard outer material to the thing in the middle. It shimmered ever so slightly upon being 'fed', as one might say it.

"It's a start," Beryl said to Jadeite. "Keep it up, and soon our Great Ruler will awaken."

"As you wish, my Queen," Jadeite bowed low. "I've deployed several of my agents and scattered them throughout the continents. The Keepers will not be able to discern regular monster activity from ours. A handful has been taken out, but no one of importance within our ranks. Which leads me to last night…" Jadeite trailed off.

"Here we go," Nephrite said quietly.

He casually took a few steps away from Jadeite. He _had_ just washed the uniform after all. He didn't particularly like the idea of having to send it back to the cleaners because he carelessly stood too close to someone that had been reduced to mush.

"What happened last night?" Beryl asked dangerously.

"Last night, The Rake made his move on a neighborhood that he had infested," Jadeite explained. "Within an hour, he had effortlessly claimed the lives of five households without being detected. On the last house he ran afoul, of one of _them_."

"_The_m?" Beryl and Nephrite asked.

"Yes, a Celestial Warrior. The first has awakened at last. One of the girls he attacked fled the last residence but she didn't get far. _Then, Luna _interfered and _awakened her_! The girl became Celestial Warrior Moon and…dispatched him. I have not identified the girl as of yet."

"B-but, I _was_ able to collect the energy he had taken from his victims," he added hurriedly.

Beryl stood again, sending Jadeite a terrible glare.

"You _lost _The Rake. You lost one of the most feared creatures of the deep recesses of man's primal consciousness…" she said, murder in her voice.

"I am sorry, my Queen. I was careless. I accept full responsibility for this," Jadeite said, shame in his voice.

Beryl calmed herself.

"I won't punish you, this time, Jadeite. At least we lost him in the discovery of our greatest enemy. You will continue your work as per usual, Jadeite, with increased caution."

"But, what about the Celestial Warriors, my Queen?" Jadeite asked. "My mission has just become much more difficult, thanks to this new development."

Now it was Beryl's turn to smirk with a devious flair. She took in a breath and called:

"Zoicite!"

Appearing in the air above Jadeite and Nephrite was a third young man, somewhere between the former and latter's ages. Though he hovered around ten feet above the ground, he was positioned as if sitting crossed legged in a chair with his hands folded in his lap.

He was easily more slightly built than the other two, and had long hair matching the color of his namesake tied back in a ponytail. He had very feminine features to match the manner he carried himself. He had the same outfit as the other two.

Jadeite scowled at the floating man above his and Nephrite's heads.

"In all due respect, my Queen, I can manage without the help of this waif," Jadeite said.

Zoicite laughed as if he had just been told a most humorous joke. He grinned with a sly flair down at the other blonde.

"My, my, aren't you the confident one," Zoicite teased. "In over-abundance, it can be your downfall."

Jadeite sneered up at him, and was about to speak some retort when Beryl interrupted.

"You will do as you're told, Jadeite, or would you rather be taken off this mission and have it given to Nephrite?"

Jadeite stood silent for a second before giving his queen another bow.

"No, my Queen, forgive my insolence, I was out of term."

"Much better," Beryl replied, coldly.

She turned to Zoicite.

"Zoicite, you will learn the identity of our newest and greatest enemy, and kill her. In the meantime, keep her blind to the true prize. Jadeite _must_ be able to complete his objectives without being bothered."

"I will not fail you, my Queen," Zoicite promised.

Beryle looked to Nephrite.

"And you, Nephrite. You recently sent me your latest findings concerning the stars in relation to their effect on humans. Very impressive work. You will begin putting this attained knowledge into practice to aid Jadeite in choosing targets. Also, do you believe that studying the stars might yield the identity of the Celestial Warrior?"

"Of that, I am uncertain," Nephrite replied. "But I will look for anything unusual in my observations."

"What of Kunzite? Will he be participating?" Zoicite asked.

"Kunzite will continue leading our offensive against The Keepers. You are all dismissed. Jadeite, begin briefing these two on your operations."

"Yes, my Queen," Jadeite bowed.

With that, the three men vanished. Beryl's lips curled up into a fanged smile. Soon, everything they had worked for would come into fruition.

* * *

"Motoki!" Usagi called.

She ran after him down the sidewalk. At the end of this proverbial tunnel she ran, there was a light at the end of it, and in the middle of it was Motoki, walking away with his back turned. Usagi rushed to catch up, but for some reason, the going was slow.

"Motoki!" she called again.

This time he stopped and she raced right up to him.

"I'm going to confess to him for sure," she thought.

She reached out for his arm when she was close enough. She gripped it and he turned again.

"Motoki, I…" she started.

She screamed when the person before her faced her. The image of Motoki vanished, and in its place was left the visage of The Rake. It roared and lunged! It pinned her down, and then there was blood. Blood everywhere.

Usagi jolted up in bed. Her breathing was sharp but heavy. She stared straight ahead, completely frozen in place. She had broken out into a cold sweat. Staring up at her ceiling, she realized that it had all been a dream. Her eyes scanned the dark bedroom for any sign of an intruder. She didn't see any movement. She blinked away a stream of light and glanced at the window. It was morning, and early.

She checked her alarm clock. 6:50AM. She felt a sudden weight on her stomach and glanced over. There was a black cat _in her face_. She squeaked, and jumped up, against the head of her back. When she saw it was just her newly acquired "cat", she calmed down.

"Are you alright,? Luna asked.

"Not really," Usagi whined. "I just had a nightmare about that thing from last night! It was shaping up to be a really nice love dream, too!"

"_Love dream_," Luna asked, though she was absolutely certain she didn't want to know.

"Usagi, are you up already?" Ikuko called from downstairs.

"Yes, mom. Ugh, thanks a lot, Luna. _Now_ I have to get up!"

"You should be getting up right now, anyway," Luna replied flatly.

"Whatever," Usagi muttered.

She shuffled off to the bathroom.

"And don't forget the cover story if anyone asks," Luna quietly called. "Wild cat. It's what the police report says."

"Yeah, yeah," Usagi said.

She closed the door to her room. She hung her head.

"Like that story'll stand up," she thought. "We all _saw_ that thing!"

Then she felt guilty thinking about it.

"And I refused to let Naru have our study date my house. Wait, but if we weren't there, Mrs. Osaka would have been killed right along with those poor men. Those poor, poor men."

She thought back on what happened after the encounter with The Rake and Phantom Mask while getting ready for the day.

* * *

_She ran as far as she could back to Naru's house. When they arrived, they had found that Ami was able to flag down the arriving paramedic much to her relief. They hid amongst some nearby trees before coming out. Usagi was about to run over, but Luna told her to stop._

_The first ambulance had already left with Makoto inside for the Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital. They were loading Naru into the last one. This was when Usagi decided to make her appearance._

_"Quickly, change back," Luna had instructed. "Concentrate on the image of yourself as an ordinary girl. They must not know about your power or your identity as a Celestial Warrior._

_"Why not?"_

_"It's for your own good, Usagi. If the ones that sent that beast ever found out who you really are, they'd stop at nothing to get at you. They'd have no qualms about using your friends, family, or any other innocents they could get their hands on," Luna warned._

_"Alright, alright, I get it."_

_Usagi concentrated. Her armor disappeared and the both blades vanished back within the hilt she carried. She was wearing her school uniform again. Luna hopped off her shoulder, disappearing into some nearby bushes. Usagi pocketed the hilt before emerging from the darkness. When she did, she ran straight for Ami._

_"Usagi!" Ami cried in a shrill yet relieved voice._

_"Ami, is everyone alright?"_

_"I don't know yet!"_

_Ami grabbed the blonde by both hands and looked her over._

_"But you're alright, thank goodness," she said, greatly relieved._

_Usagi could tell from the red eyes that the girl had been weeping. She looked like she might start again out of joy, seeing her new friend not torn into little pieces._

_"Yeah-yeah. I lost the, uh…the, uh…it," Usagi stuttered._

_At the moment, Ami was too glad to see Usagi alive and in piece to bother thinking about how she had lost…that thing, let alone ask._

_"Excuse me, girls, but we're going to have to ask you some questions down at the station," a police officer said as he approached._

_He looked back at the surrounding houses with uncertainty._

_"There was an awful lot of force used here. I trust you can both shed a little on what happened in there."_

_"Anywhere but here," Ami shuddered._

_The girl looked very pale. She gave the ambulances a worried look._

_"Excuse me, officer, I'll be right back," Ami said._

_The blue haired teen ran over to one of the emergency workers._

_"Hey, w-wait for me," Usagi called._

_She followed behind Ami as best she could._

_"Hello," Ami said to the man._

_He turned around._

_"Yes, how may I help you?"_

_"Are they…going to be alright?" Ami asked worriedly._

_Usagi looked in the back window in at Naru. She was conscious, but stared off into space with a haunted look._

_"The Osakas have only sustained mild injury. It's your other friend, Miss Kino, we're more worried about," The paramedic replied._

_He climbed into the driver's seat of the emergency vehicle and drove off, taking Naru to Hiroo General as well. The officer came up behind them._

_"It's time, ladies. You will be interviewed by Inspector Ishida. I've already told the Superintendent that you're coming," he said._

_Usagi and Ami looked at him over their shoulders with drained gazes. They could only follow him to his car. He opened the back seat door for them and they climbed in. He shut it behind him and went to the driver's side. Just as he was opening the door, another officer came up and tapped his shoulder._

_"Yeah?"_

_"We've tried to get the neighbors to answer, but no one's coming out, sir."_

_"What? Oh man, Monday is too soon for this crap. Alright, tell Inspector Ishida when he and the investigation team arrive."_

_"Yes, sir. Oh, I hope we don't have a bunch of stiffs on our hands," the other officer said._

_Usagi and Ami rode to the police station with the officer. The ride was in absolute silence. Every once in a while, they'd exchange looks that spoke a thousand words. They had no idea what they were going to tell the police. It's not like they'd actually be believed when they got to the part about the monster in Naru's basement._

_The car pulled out front of the station when they were taken to Ishida's office._

_"What do we do, Usagi?" Ami said the instant there were alone and waiting for their interviewer. "There's no way they're going to believe that some monster attacked us!"_

_Usagi bit her lip and looked away. Frankly, she didn't know what to do. They saw the door to the office open and in walked a young officer. He smiled at them pleasantly when he entered. He sat at his desk with the report folder and a pen, ready to take their testimony._

_Both girls looked on the man. He stood slightly shorter than average height and had a slight, wiry frame. His face was also thin with sharp features. A long scar below right his eye which went all the way across that side of his face and past his ear which also had scarring on the lobe. He had shaggy shoulder length white hair that was tied back. He wore a gray suit with a long tan coat._

_"Hello, Miss Tsukino and Miss Mizuno, I'm Inspector Ishida. Before we being, is there anything I can get either of you? A glass of water, something from the vending machines, just name it?"_

_"Have-have our parents been called?" Ami asked._

_"Yes, Miss Mizuno, Miss Tsukino's parents are on their way to pick you up as we speak. However, I wasn't able to get a hold of your mother, so I'll have to drive you home."_

_Ami gaze lowered to her lap sadly._

_"…I understand."_

_"Poor Ami," Usagi thought._

_She was beginning to realize what Ami had meant when she said "mother won't care, believe me". Usagi cleared her throat, bringing to attention just how dry it was._

_"Water, please," Usagi asked._

_"I would like that, too," Ami said quietly._

_"Sure, sure," Ishida replied._

_He left to retrieve their beverages and returned a short time later. He handed them their drinks. All the while, his posture, face, and voice were disarming and welcoming. It made them both feel safe talking to him, which is what he wanted. The more they felt they could confide in him, the better._

_"Here you both go," he said._

_He gave them water, and then took his seat again. He waited a moment for them to take a drink. When they had, he spoke again._

_"Are you both ready to begin? Take it slow; we're in no rush here."_

_"I guess," Usagi replied._

_"Yes," Ami added, though she didn't sound ready._

_Ishida cleared his throat before beginning._

_"Very well, the purpose of this interview is to get as accurate an account of what occurred in that house as we can from the two of you. Please, as best you can, tell me what attacked you and describe the sequence of events."_

_The two recounted what led up the situation, explaining that they were all there studying when the power went out. Then they got to the part where they encountered The Rake, Usagi clamped right up._

_"As best you can, describe the animal that assaulted you at the Osaka residence," Ishida instructed._

_Usagi and Ami exchanged very uncertain glances, but remained silent._

_"Miss Tsukino? Miss Mizuno?"_

_"I…" Ami began, looking down at her lap. "I don't really know how to describe that beast."_

_This got Ishida's attention._

_"Beast? Like a monster," he asked._

_"Not just 'like a monster'," Usagi muttered, her voice cracked as she spoke._

_"I see. What you saw down in that basement. It was something so otherworldly, so wrong, that you don't think I'll believe you when you tell me," Ishida replied, seriously._

_Both girls looked at him in amazement, and he smiled understandingly back._

_"The fact that there's a scary dark corner just outside of man's vision hasn't been lost on this Inspector, ladies," he said._

_"Alright, I'll tell you," Usagi said._

_She looked away at nothing and bit her lip again._

_"It looked like a man, trying to be a monster, or a monster trying to be man," Ami interjected._

_"It looked like a man, sort of, but moved and walked like a dog," Usagi replied. "Its skin was this nasty gray color, and it had all these real bad bruises, cuts, and sores all over like it was beat up real bad a lot of times. It had these claws... Long, sharp ones at its fingertips. It used them to…"_

_Usagi trailed off._

_"It had black eyes," Ami said. "I don't know if it could talk, but it sure could carry on like a wild animal."_

_"It could talk," Usagi insisted. "Just not like any human."_

_They explained the struggle with the beast as they could, but where Usagi fled the grounds was where it becomes difficult._

_"…It almost had me…" Usagi spoke, before stopping again._

_"Did someone save you?" Ishida asked._

_"…Yes."_

_"Who?"_

_"Well, it was a woman, real pretty. She just appeared out of nowhere."_

_"Like a superhero?" Ishida asked, as if getting the picture._

_"Well, yeah."_

_"Was it Sailor V?"_

_"…Ye-No. It was someone else. Some dark haired woman I've never met before. She started beating it up with a spear."_

_Ishida's cocked a brow while listening._

_"What happened to the creature after she showed up?"_

_"It might be dead," Usagi replied. "I'm not really sure."_

_That was close enough to the truth, she figured._

_"What'd she look like? Did this woman give you any name," Ishida asked._

_"Real pretty. She was tall, had black long hair and this weird crescent moon tattoo on her forehead! …I couldn't really say what her name is."_

_"Do you remember any other details about the incident? Such as, other than the two men and the family across the street, did you discover any other bodies?"_

_He looked over at Ami, who shook her head._

_"Before you go, if there's anything you can tell me, please do," Ishida said._

_Usagi and Ami glanced at one another before looking back at him._

_"That's all I can really say," Usagi said._

_"I think that's it," Ami added._

_Ishida sighed. He didn't like that there was obviously more to this, but wasn't being told. He regarded Usagi again, very sternly._

_"Miss Tsukino, is that really all? If there's something you're not telling me, it could jeopardize both more innocent lives and this entire investigation. If you know more concerning the fate of the creature that did all this, please tell me."_

_"I don't know what really happened to it!" Usagi cried. "Really! I watched it turn to ash or dust, or whatever, but it also got right back up after Makoto snapped its neck back in the house."_

_Ishida nodded._

_"Alright, Miss Tsukino, you can wait for your family in the lobby," he said. "If we need to contact you again, we'll be in touch. Miss Mizuno, just let me get a few things in order and I'll take you home."_

_"Thank you," Ami said._

_Usagi got up and left the office, leaving Ami and Ishida alone. She sat down on a bench against the wall near the front entrance. She said nothing to anyone._

_Before long, Ishida and Ami padded by. Ami waved to her as they went, and Usagi returned the gesture. Now Usagi was truly alone here in this strange place, and she sadly watched them go. Ami looked back at her and then said something to Ishida, who shook his head. He opened the passenger side door of his car and she got in. He got into the driver's side and they were off._

_While Usagi continued looking out of the glass panels, she spotted someone approaching. She smiled and stood up. Her parents had arrived. They had just reached the top of the concrete streets at a jogging pace. Ikuko's face let up as soon as she saw Usagi, like a prayer had been answered._

_She pointed, which got Kenji's attention. The Tsukinos dashed into the station and held their eldest by a shoulder each._

_"You're alright. Oh, thank Kami," Kenji muttered._

_He took a step back and bent over slightly, resting his hands on his knees, catching his breath._

_"Oh, Usagi, I was so scared when the police called and said there had been an incident!" Ikuko cried._

_"Oof! Mom! I'm fine!"_

_Ikuko hugged Usagi tightly to her._

_"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino," a policewoman greeted._

_The family turned to face her._

_"Oh, hello," Kenji replied. "What happened out there? Who tried to hurt our little girl?"_

_"Not 'who', Mr. Tsukino, 'what'," she spoke. "Your daughter was involved in an attack by a big, wild cat. We suspect it might have escaped from a zoo. We're looking into it as I speak."_

_Kenji's jaw went slack. Ikuko gasped. Usagi stared at the officer incredulously._

_"But, she was over at Naru's…" Ikuko said._

_"What?" Usagi mouthed._

_She was too shocked to speak. Had that Ishida written down a bald faced lie of a report?_

_"And I let him to take Ami with him," Usagi whispered, suddenly very frightened for her friend._

_She looked back out into the city._

_Behind her, the policewoman explained her version of the events. Usagi looked back at them. A rabid cat, indeed!_

_"And that's about all I can tell you, I'm sorry," the officer shrugged._

_"I understand, thank you," Kenji said._

_"Excuse me, but will you need our daughter for anything else?" Ikuko asked._

_She gave Usagi a worried and pitying look before turning back to woman._

_"Oh, no, we're done with the initial questioning. Just give us a call if she remembers anything else about the incident. Oh, yeah and here…"_

_She reached over to one of the objects she held and gave it to Kenji. It was Usagi's book bag._

_"We recovered these from one of the upstairs bedrooms. We're not holding them as any sort of evidence, so they will all be returned to their proper owners as soon as possible."_

_The Tsukinos left the station. Usagi climbed into the back of her parents' car, and pondered what had just happened most of the way home. Either Ishida was aligned with Luna in some way, or he was working with that monster. Or maybe even Phantom Mask. Even if he was supposedly on her side, could he be trusted? Usagi wasn't sure if she wanted to be involved in something that involved rewriting and committing fraud on a police report regarding an incident where at least five people had been murdered._

_Noticing their daughter's unusual silence, Kenji and Ikuko exchanged concerned looks. They knew that what had happened tonight must really have affected her. When they got home, Usagi went right up to bed. As she passed Shingo's room in the hall, the door opened and her little brother peaked._

_"Hey, Usagi, are you okay?" he asked. "The cops called. What happened?"_

_"Later, Shingo. Later," Usagi said wearily._

_She went into her bedroom and got ready for bed. She showered and pulled on her pajamas. She set the now bladeless hilt of her newly acquired double-sword onto her dresser. She looked at it closely. Had any of this been real? It all still seemed like something straight out of a shojo manga to her, completely unreal._

_Someone knocked at her door._

_"Come in," she said._

_Her mother came in._

_"Honey, I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?"_

_"Shaken, but I'm okay. Will I have to go to school tomorrow?"_

_"Yes, I'm afraid. Unless you were hurt by that thing, you know we can't afford to have you missing any school."_

_"Oh, fine! Geez, no rest for the wicked, huh, mom?"_

_"You know I don't mean it like that," Ikuko said calmly. "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_"Maybe later," Usagi yawned. "I'm tired."_

_"Alright, then, but anytime you want to talk it out, I'm here. Good night, Usagi."_

_"Good night, mom."_

_Ikuko flipped off the light switch. Usagi climbed under the sheets and closed her eyes. She found no rest. She was worried about Makoto. If what Luna said was true, then her wound was only going to get worse, but what could be done about it? Usagi heard another tapping at the window. She furrowed her brow, trying to ignore it and turned over._

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

_Finally, she groaned and rolled over, facing the window. There was Luna sitting at her windowsill in cat form, rapping on the glass with her paw. How did she keeping finding her?_

_Usagi sluggishly climbed out of bed and pulled the window up._

_"Luna? What are you going here?"_

_"I had to see you again, Usagi. We have to straighten out a few things."_

_Luna hopped onto the floor. She still had a limp, but at least the wound was closed now and actually looking a little better. Usagi stared in surprise at the quick healing._

_"I thought wounds from that thing just got worse," Usagi asked._

_She pulled the window shut again and pulled the drapes closed._

_"Unless treated, they do," Luna said. "We suspected that thing was doing its work in the area, so we had specially made medicine brewed that counteracts the effects of The Rake's Curse."_

_"You need to get some over to the hospital right now!" Usagi said, hurriedly. "Mako was badly hurt to begin with; I don't even want to imagine how bad those slashes are now."_

_"You don't need to worry about your friend," Luna said reassuringly. "We already treated her with the cure."_

_She hopped onto the foot of Usagi's bed and started walking around in a circle to make a spot to sleep on._

_"Thank goodness. …Wait. We?" Usagi asked. "Who is 'we'?"_

_"The Keepers," Luna replied, matter-of-factly._

_"The Keepers? Just who are you, anyway, Luna? What are you? Why can you turn into a person, or turn into a cat? Uh, which is it?"_

_"I'm a girl who can turn into a cat."_

_"Alright, but who are these Keepers? What was that thing? What's going on? Why did I change into a super Amazon warrior babe?"_

_"Well," Luna started uncertainly._

_Her feline ears went flat against her head while she tried to find the right words._

_"I don't really know anything for certain, but you must be related to the previous owner of that Armor, somehow. When I awakened the sleeping power in your blood, it came to you. I sensed that potential in you from the first moment I met you and your friends on the street."_

_"Alright, got it, I'm a distance relative of some Awesome Warrior Chick," Usagi replied, still very confused. "So who was the previous owner and what does she have to do with anything that happened tonight?"_

_"Listen, Usagi, would you be opposed to meeting the rest of my compatriots tomorrow?" Luna asked._

_"Huh? Well, I guess not. Sure. Why?"_

_"Well, I think it'd be best if we all explained it together. I'll pick you up after school."_

_Usagi thought about it for a moment, but then came to a decision. She pressed her finger to Luna's nose and spoke._

_"Alright, but no lies. No more "not-telling-me" anything?" Usagi asked._

_"We'll tell you everything. Absolutely everything," Luna replied. "I promise."_

_"Alright. So…do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?"_

_"Well..." Luna muttered. "Not really. I just arrived in the city yesterday after detecting several irregular energies, yours' included. I've been on the hunt for the last 24 hours."_

_"Geez, no wonder you must ready to drop! Alright, you can sleep at the foot of my bed, in cat form. I don't want mom coming in and seeing me in bed with another girl. That would just be too hard to come up with an excuse for."_

* * *

"Can I really trust her?" Usagi wondered.

She was running to school now. She didn't really need to, but it made her feel better.

Her mind mulled over whether Luna was really working in her best interests or not. Sure, she had saved her and given her the power to stop that monstrosity. Did she do just to save lives, though? Were there other motives? She has going to be used for something? Well, she'd just have to wait until after school to find out, she supposed.

She entered the school grounds with a good fifteen minutes until the bell. Not knowing where else to go, she went right to class. She scanned the halls as she went. No sign of Naru, Makoto, or Ami. It didn't surprise her. She must be the only survivor that would be at school that day. She opened the door to her school while looking around one more time.

"USAGI!" several voices shouted.

"Eep!" she squeaked.

She jumped back when her classmates piled around the door and started all talking at once, asking questions. Her friends pulled her into the room and shut the door behind them.

"Are you okay after last night?"

"What kind of cat was it?"

"Did it hurt you?"

"Where's Naru and that tall new kid?"

"I was told it was a werewolf!"

"Ah! Slow down! Too many questions!" Usagi wailed.

"Hey, don't be like that," one of them said. "We couldn't get anything out of Mizuno."

"Mi-? Ami's here?"

She looked past the crowd and saw Ami sitting at her desk. She stared out a window, resting her head in her hand. So they had the same kind of Education Mom, then. She looked back at the crowd standing in her personal space.

"Wait, how do you guys already know about this?" she asked.

"It was all over the newspapers," Umino said, making his usual sudden appearance.

"Wah! Stop doing that, Umino," Usagi cried.

She looked at the headline on the paper's front that the nerd held up:

"**Four Families Slaughtered In Their Homes By Escaped Zoo Leopard."**

"Four families?" Usagi asked aloud.

Then she remembered, and then gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. The paper had to be the referring to the neighbors. She thought it was odd that they didn't answer their door, and now she knew why. Tears threatened to roll down her face, thinking of them.

"Usagi, how is Naru?" one of her friends asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to the hospital after school to check on everyone," she answered.

Immediately, she was set upon by about a half dozen volunteers offering to go with her. She could only laugh awkwardly and waggle her head.

The rest of the school day seemed to go by in a blur. She found it ever harder to concentrate on anything than usual. By the end of the way, she'd been assigned several metric tons of homework which she probably wouldn't be able to do. She really wanted to talk to Ami, but the girl seemed to disappear between classes. It didn't take long for Usagi to conclude that she wanted to be left alone.

She'd just have to talk to Ami at a later time. Today, Usagi knew she had a couple of appointments to keep.

* * *

Slam! Ishida looked up at the doorway to his office, which had slung open violently. Inspector Wakagi stood there with look that could kill. Ishida set down the pen he was using on the desk, regarding him calmly.

"Is there I can help you with, Wakagi?"

Wakagi walked away and threw the morning paper onto his desk.

"Explain. This."

"Somehow I knew you'd be less than thrilled about the leopard story."

"_Less the thrilled_? You _wrote_ the report! The girl couldn't even confirm that thing's really dead! Why are we lying to the public about a very real threat? The people of Tokyo have a right to know if there is something dangerous stalking the streets at night! If I had my way, you'd have your badge taken for this."

Ishida didn't even respond. Wakagi chuckled bitterly.

"I never have my way, no matter how many times you violate regulations. Funny, I'd almost think you were abusing connections you have somewhere higher up. Even the Superintendent can't get you out of this precinct."

Wakagi glared into Ishida's calm eyes for another moment where all was silent. Finally, Ishida spoke again.

"Are you finished, Wakagi? I have work to do before returning to the scene."

"Not quite," Wakagi said.

He put both hands on Ishida's desk and leaned in with a dangerous look.

"If the tampering you've done with the files and our official statements _ever_ compromises the safety of the public, I won't care what the rules are, or who your connections are. No officer, inspector, superintendent, teenager girl in a ridiculous mask and sailor fuku, or even God will protect me from **me**. Got it?" Wakagi warned.

"Crystal," Ishida responded offhanded and without even looking at Wakagi.

He had returned to filling out his paperwork, completely unconcerned. Wakagi stiffened, as he could tell his warning wasn't taken seriously. He stepped away from the desk, shaking his head in disgust, and then stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Come in," Sakurada said.

Wakagi stepped into the office, looking like a man at the end of his rope.

"Wakagi! What's wrong with you?" Sakurada raised a brow.

"I can't do this anymore! I don't care how we do, but we have to get rid of him!"

Sakurada's shoulders sagged and she hung wearily.

"Ishida?"

"Yes! The man is covering up evidence and lying to the people. _The _people we're supposed to be protecting and serving. You read the original testimony! This isn't right!"

"I have V at the scene right now. If there's still any threat of that thing, she'll know within the hour."

Wakagi opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it.

"I understand, Superintendent," he replied, knowing that he wasn't going to get anywhere at the moment.

He looked out the window of the office. Ishida was already leaving for the crime scene, having handed off his paperwork to the appropriate person. He didn't trust this Ishida, or Sailor V, yet he could do nothing about either. The superintendent had V on their damn payroll, and Ishida had connections extending far above Sakurada. He left the office, vowing to get himself reassigned somewhere far, far from them both. Antarctica, perhaps.

* * *

"Hmm," Sailor V* scratched her chin in an exaggerated manner.

She crouched down low in front of the spot, and glanced around at the burn marks on the ground and walls where Celestial Warrior Moon's finishing move had nicked them. Next to her was a clear plastic bag of gathered ashes from the beast. A couple of feet away was the spot where the concrete was cracked from its impact falling from the roof.

"For this, I'm missing school," she muttered.

Getting to leave early on account of a 'family emergency' to come stare at the sidewalk hadn't exactly been her idea of a day off. She heard the tap of footsteps approaching from behind. She looked back and saw Ishida approaching.

"So, what are you thinking, _Sailor V?_" he asked.

"I'm thinking that this is definitely the spot where she killed the thing!"

"No really?" he asked in feigned astonishment.

Then he expression turned to one of angry annoyance.

"Mina, are you taking this seriously at all?"

"What?" she asked crossly. "What's that look for, Artemis?"

"_You know what it's for_," "Ishida", or Artemis, replied exasperated. "So is the creature dead? Have you even _used_ the Handheld Ethereal Energy Detection Unit you were _supposed _to bring?"

"Oh, the HEEDU, right, duh," V replied.

She stuck out her tongue and tapped herself lightly on the head with her fist. Artemis facepalmed and ran his hand down his face, moaning painfully the entire time. Between Wakagi and her, he wasn't certain which one was going to drive him up a wall first.

From seemingly nowhere, she took out a device that looked a lot like a Gamma-Scout Handheld, except for the ivory coloring and the small oval mirror in place of the usual screen and buttons. She held the bag of ashes up to the device. The mirror stopped reflecting imagery and turned black, displaying some kind of unearthly glow. She held the device over the burned concrete and got the same result. She looked up Artemis with a bright smile.

"Yeah, this is definitely The Rake's remains, alright," she said happily. "Can I go home yet? This shows Rakey Rake is gone, right?"

Before Artemis could answer, the image in the mirror vanished. Minako looked at the device, perplexed. She ran it back over the bag and the blackened concrete.

"That's weird," she said. "All reading of supernatural waves just suddenly went away."

"No, you can't go yet," Artemis replied.

"Aw," Minako complained. "But I was going to see if I couldn't get that cute boy over at the Gaming Center to go on a date tonight."

Artemis glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking. There was a bright flash, and Minako suddenly felt a weight sitting on her shoulder.

"Come on. I have a bad feeling about this. We better go check out the other crime scenes," the white tomcat said.

"You're mean," Minako complained.

All the same, she dashed off towards the homes where the incident had begun.

* * *

Usagi skipped down the steps of the school towards the main gate. She shoved the homework she'd collected for Naru and Makoto into her bag. If nothing else, they'd have it when they were released. She approached the front gate, wondering if she'd have to wait for Luna.

"Hey, Usa," one of the girls called. "You ready to go see Naru and her mom?"

"In a minute," Usagi replied. "I'm meeting someone out front."

"Okay, just come by when you can."

"Oh, I will. Count on it!"

Usagi stepped out into the sidewalk and saw no sign of her companion. Just passers and maybe a handful of parents that bothered to come pick up their children. Just as she was about to just take off, the motorcycle pulled up into a parking space close to her. Usagi looked at the driver, who was wearing a helmet. The person reached up and pulled off the protective wear. She shook her long hair down and looked turned to her. It was Luna. In all black leather gear, no less, boots, pants, jacket, and…was that a halter top? Her crescent moon tattoo was strangely missing.

"Are you quite ready to go, Usagi?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Usagi replied disinterested.

She was about to sit side-saddle on the back of the seat, but then she stopped. She looked back at Luna.

"Listen, could we please stop off at Hiroo General first? I want to go check up on my friends."

Luna regarded Usagi with mild impatience.

"Sorry, but we can't. It was very difficult it was to get all the founding Keepers in one place. We don't have a moment to waste on sentimentality."

"But I have to. Please, Luna!"

"**No.**"

Usagi gave Luna a defiant look. She huffed and started walking towards the nearest bus stop.

"What…? Hey, get back here!" Luna demanded.

"You little club will just have to wait," Usagi replied stubbornly. "_I'll _go see them when I get the time, but its my fault Naru and Makoto were even there last night, so I _have_ to go make sure they're okay."

Luna face-palmed, letting out a sound that started as a frustrated moan that turned into a growl a bit too feline for a human. Her hand fell from her face as she swiveled her head a bit and rolled her eyes in annoyed resignation. She put the helmet back on and started up the motorbike again.

She pulled up beside Usagi again and rolled slowly next to her as the girl walked.

"Oh, alright, but make it quick," was all she said.

"That's more like it," Usagi responded with smug satisfaction.

She hopped side saddle and put on a spare helmet that was clipped to the back.

"Hang on, we can't lose _any_ time," Luna warned.

"What does that me-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaugh!"

The bike was off like a shot weaving through the traffic at dangerous speeds, and Usagi screaming in terror all the way. She clung to Luna with a vise-like grip, blubbering and crying all the way.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" she shrieked.

She let out another as Luna ramped off a bridge and onto the road it passed over. Finally, they were at the hospital.

"Alright, let's go," Luna said.

She pulled into a parking spot and stopped the engine. She tried to get up, but Usagi and her grip on her wouldn't budge. She looked at the girl irritably.

"Usagi, stop messing around, we…" she stopped dead.

The girl was frozen in place with a mortified expression and wide eyes that stared out at nothing. Luna sighed.

"Okay, maybe I overdid it a little…" she admitted.

* * *

The nurse looked up when the automated double doors slid open. In walked two young women, a blonde with dumpling buns in a school uniform who had still be in junior high and a raven head in biker gear that might be 20 or so. The younger was being supported by the elder on wobbly legs, a trembling body with her arms drawn in close, and terrified eyes at that stared out at nothing. They approached the front desk.

"Scary…scary…" was all the blonde kept repeating.

"May I help you?" the nurse asked.

"My little sister is here to see her friends. A Miss Naru Osaka and a Miss Makoto Kino," Luna replied, politely. "I just drove us over and…"

"Never again…never again…." Usagi whimpered.

Luna bit her lip and then smiled sheepishly, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Rooms 2-4 and 2-6, second floor," the nurse replied.

Luna uttered a thank and dragged Usagi towards the stairs.

"Hey," the nurse called after them.

"Yeah," Luna replied, sounding tired.

"I'm not going to be seeing either of you later in the E.R., I am?"

Luna forced a laugh.

"No."

* * *

"Well, Mrs. Osaka, you're definitely going to have a stay a few more nights," Dr. Amagawa said. "I definitely want to keep those wounds in sterile conditions and under close observation for the time being. But, you should be out by Friday if all goes well."

"I understand," Mrs. Osaka responded meekly.

She could feel the bandaging and stitching under her hospital gown. She looked at the curtain dividing her and Naru's beds.

"What about Naru?" she asked.

"Your daughter," Amagawa said, sliding the divider back.

"Is free to go," he finished.

He turned to Naru.

"You only suffered a nasty hit on the head and a few other nasty bruises and minor cuts. We were afraid we'd have to keep you longer, too, but that specialist that came in really did some amazing work."

"That's great, doctor," Naru exclaimed.

"There's just one thing," Mrs. Osaka said. "Don't you remember, Naru? The house is a crime scene and closed off until tomorrow. You'll have to spend the night at my sister, Miku's. She already offered to take you in when she was here earlier."

"I don't want to be alone in that house again, anyway," Naru replied with fear. "I'll just call her so she'll come pick me up. Hey, mom, I'll make sure to visit you every day after school until you come home, okay?"

"You don't have to do that. You have a life to live," her mothered replied.

"Oh, you wouldn't be troubling me any, mama, if that's what you're worried about," Naru said back.

"Naru?"

All eyes turned to Usagi as she approached. She looked worried. When she saw her friend, smiling, she breathed out in relief and smiled.

"Usagi! You're okay," Naru said greatly relieved.

She sat up in the hospital bed and the two hugged tightly.

"I'm okay? What about you?" Usagi asked with concern.

"I'm free to leave, but I'm going to stay my aunt's for a while," Naru replied.

"That's great, I didn't think they'd let you go so quickly."

"Well, they were worried that I might get some kind of cat scratch fever or something, but that never happened," Naru shrugged.

"_Cat scratch,_" Usagi cried disbelieving.

She looked back at Luna with a glare. The other woman just stared back unrelenting with her arms crossed.

"Or rabies," Dr. Amagawa added. "We did blood tests, and thankfully, there's no sign of disease. Now we're just hoping the zoo that animal came from isn't this careless with all their dangerous predators."

"…Yeah," Usagi forced out gloomily.

"How did you escape?" Mrs. Osaka asked. "That beast somehow made its nest in our basement and from what I heard it chased you down the street! Oh, and those poor men."

Mrs. Osaka closed her eyes and turned her head away, very sorrowfully.

"You can thank her," Usagi pointed to Luna.

"Really?" Naru and her mother asked, impressed.

"Heh," Luna awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I…hit it with my motorcycle."

"I don't think we've ever seen you before. Who are you," Naru asked.

"Tsukino. Luna Tsukino. I'm a relative of Usagi's that's visiting for a while," Luna replied. "I was on my way over to take Usagi home when I _literally_ ran into them."

"Well, thank goodness," Mrs. Osaka replied.

"Usagi, what's wrong?" Naru asked.

She had noticed that the normally sunny girl had gone quiet and currently wore a distressed look on her face ever since they mentioned the leopard. Usagi turned to her and forced a big smile and giggled extra hard the way she always did when she wasn't telling the truth.

"Oh, nothing," Usagi insisted. "I'm still just shaken, that's all."

She looked at Naru's unconvinced look.

"That's it, really," Usagi nodded her vigorously.

"Alright," Naru replied dubious. "You know I'll just get the truth out of you later."

She pressed Usagi's nose with her finger to punctuate the point. Both girls burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but you'll have to excuse us," Luna spoke up. "Usagi and I have some things that we need to do. You said you were also checking up on the Kino girl."

"Oh, I guess I'll see you later, Naru. Oh, and here's some homework Mr. Haruna handed me to give you," Usagi said.

"See you tomorrow," Naru replied, trying to sound chipper.

Usagi and Luna walked over to the room where Makoto was being treated.

"I can't believe you!" Usagi hissed at Luna. "Not only do your people tell lies in the news, but you actually brained-washed my best friend and her mom!"

"It had to be done," Was all Luna said in response.

"Oh, really," Usagi asked. "How so…?"

"We can discuss this when meeting The Keepers. Go talk to your other friend."

Usagi gave Luna one more displeased stare before going into Room 2-6. She pulled back the drape a bit and beheld the sleeping form of the girl that had saved her twice the day before. Seeing her so vulnerable now was an unwelcome turnabout.

She stepped into the little room of curtained walls and sat down by the other girl. Usagi swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak.

"M-Mako?"

Makoto remained asleep. Usagi mustered a little more courage and tried again.

"Makoto," she said more loudly.

Makoto's brows wrinkled and she moaned. She shifted her weight slightly. Her eyes opened a crack and she blinked, making her vision come into focus. Her head turned her head to look at Usagi. It took a moment for comprehension to cross her features.

"Oh, it's you," she said softly.

"Hi, Mako," Usagi greeted smiling. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess."

"How long will you be staying?"

"Don't know, but the doctor said that stupid cat really messed me up."

Usagi felt her stomach churn at those words. Makoto lifted up by her arms.

"Here, let me help you," Usagi offered.

She stood up and supported Makoto in sitting up slightly. Then she put another pillow under her lowered her back down.

"Thanks," the brunette said.

"H-Hey, what're friends for? Besides, I owe you big," Usagi replied.

"Yes, you do."

"How bad it is," Usagi asked.

Makoto chuckled quietly before answering.

"I got slashed by a leopard. It's pretty bad. Well, that's what I get for picking a fight with a big tabby. My choice, though."

She looked Usagi from head to toe.

"Are you okay?" Makoto asked.

"I'm just great. The big kitty never got a chance to hurt me at all," Usagi assured.

Makoto smiled, pleased that her taking the bullet didn't make for a useless sacrifice.

"I'm glad," the tomboy said, earnestly.

She lied back and shut her eyes. Usagi glanced over her shoulder and peaked through the drape. Luna was standing out in the hall, not even paying attention. So she turned back to Makoto. She breathed out heavily and started tangling her hair around her index finger nervously.

"Hey, Mako?"

"Mm?"

"What do you remember from last night?"

Makoto looked at Usagi strangely.

"We went over to Naru's to study when we got attached by a big nasty feline. Why?"

Usagi looked away and mulled over her words.

"Is that…really all?"

Makoto blinked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, nothing," Usagi smiled. "Forget I said anything. Well, look at the time. I've got to be going. I'll be back soon, Mako. Seeya! Oh, yeah, here! This is the homework I brought for you from school. Here, it might help you pass the time. Uh, seeya later!"

Usagi ran off, leaving behind a very confused Makoto with a lapful of homework. She approached Luna.

"Let's go," was all she said.

**A/N**: Please R&R!

Ugh. Oh man, I can't believe I wrote a whole chapter with no action. Well, I promise to make up for it with the next one. The story's pace is going to pick up very soon, Scout's Honor.

* Sailor V's uniform is that same as it was in the original _Codename: Sailor V _and _Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon_.


	5. Chapter 4: The Keepers

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

LoveInTheBattleField: Again, thank you for the feedback.

Drew L: _"__So... This is going to be Sailor Moon vs. creepypasta, I take it."_ Sometimes. I'm going to be using mythical creatures and beasts from all over the world, but I do have a few 'pasta monsters lined up.

**Chapter 4**

**The Keepers**

The two left the hospital in silence, one that remained the rest of the way to the meeting. It was unlikely that Usagi would have replied if Luna had spoken, given how lost in thought the girl was.

Usagi pushed down on the seat to hop off when they parked. She looked at the building they had arrived at. She stared and slanted her head to the side unsure of what to make of this. This was a surprise, and one that bemused her. They were at a small store, "Joe's Convenience Store". Nevertheless, Luna crossed the parking lot towards it.

"Is…this it," Usagi asked. "This place seems a bit…small."

"Oh, no, it's just right," Luna replied.

She looked back at Usagi with a broad grin that had an uncharacteristically playful gleam. Something told Usagi that it might have been in her best interests to just run, but she followed her in, anyway. She had a few "issues" she wanted to talk over with the Keepers.

A bell rang when they opened the door, alerting the clerk to their presence. He sat behind the counter reading his newspaper with the folding chair on its back legs with his legs up on the counter.

"Hey, Joe, this girl and I need to use the phone."

_Joe_ gestured to the little room in the back, but did not look up or greet them.

Usagi scanned the small store. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It looked like any other. A few customers browsed the shelves. The Keepers were really meeting here?

"Hey, Usagi, come on, we're using the phone," Luna said.

"The phone?" Usagi asked, her perplexity growing by the minute.

Luna grabbed Usagi's hand and led her into the back. They entered a small room with wooden walls on all sides and closed the door behind them. It was about the size of a toll phone, complete with a public phone and a phonebook.

"Now what?" she asked.

Luna grinned again, picking up the phone. Without paying, she dialed up in four numbers. Much to Usagi's surprise, she actually heard it ring. Someone even answered after two rings. She heard Luna speak a single, unfamiliar word in reply:

"Amicus."

The person on the other end replied.

"It's Luna. We've arrived. Mm-hm, understood."

Luna turned to Usagi when she hung up.

"Alright, we should be there now."

"Eh!" Usagi cried.

But they were just standing in a room, and it certainly didn't move any. Luna opened the door and stepped out. Usagi followed suit. She stopped dead when she realized that they weren't in the convenience store anyway. The interior was that of a skyscraper with…windows and sunlight streaming in?

"What!" Usagi cried.

Across from her was one that looked out at another building across the way. She pressed her hands on the glass and looked down with eyes wide. Below, there was a busy city street in broad daylight. She looked up and saw blue skies.

"But-wha…how…where…but…what?"

Usagi saw that there were several windows looking out and she ran from one to another down the hall in a mystified frenzy. They were _at ground level before and did not go anywhere! _How was this possible? Usagi was positively flummoxed.

Luna turned the girl around to face and was met with teary eyes.

"Luuuuna, I'm confused! And scared! Where _are we?"_

Luna looked at her with amusement.

"Underground. This is all an illusion."

"But How?"

"We passed through a dimensional rift."

"A whatsit?!" Usagi asked shrillly. "I'm supposed to buy that?"

Luna shrugged.

"We're _not_ in the convenience store, anymore. You tell me."

"Uh, good point. So where we now, and how big is this place?"

"Right now, we're hundreds of miles from that convenience store, and Japan, in an underground facility three stories in height. As for where, precisely…"

Luna held a finger to her lips and winked. She motioned with her head for Usagi to follow. Usagi sighed and followed.

"Underground? But how?" Usagi asked.

"An illusion. It keeps us sane and when need be, our enemies confused."

Usagi looked at the doors they passed, reading the inscriptions on the plaques.

"Di-Di-Eh…, Denmark, Cah-zech Ree-poob-lic, C…Cyp…rus, Cue-bah," Usagi tried to the list of countries that adorned each tablet.

She looked at Luna.

"These are all countries?"

"Yep."

"So they all go to convenience stores around the world?" Usagi asked, cracking up a bit.

"Actually, yes," Luna said, also chuckling.

"Oh," Usagi giggled. "Uh, why?"

"If you were to search for a secret organization, where would you go, City Hall or a convenience store?"

Usagi opened her mouth to reply, but then found she had nothing to say to that.

Luna opened a door that led to the top of three flights of stairs.

"Luna, just who and what are the Keepers?"

"You're about to find out."

They went to the middle floor. Its door marked was "Personnel". Luna pushed it open and went in. Before following her, Usagi glanced over the railing to the bottom. She could just make out the word "Detention" on its door. Then she stepped through the still open door the other woman was holding.

At the end of the hall was a pair of double doors. They were also marked with the crescent moon symbol. Luna marched right up to them and uttered yet another phrase Usagi could not understand. The doors flung open by themselves. Luna entered while Usagi lingered at the door and took in the room before her.

The interior of the meeting room looked a lot like many court rooms Usagi had seen on TV. From the door there was a slanted walkway leading down to the other end where there was a Magistrate's Bench with nine seats on a stage. Three were empty. On either side was the public gallery. There had to be around two hundred people in there.

"Come on, Usagi," Luna whispered to her.

She followed Luna to the front, becoming more aware of eyes turning to her as she went. She began to feel very self-conscious. She turned her attention back to the stage. The first thing Usagi noticed about all of them was that each of them had a crescent moon tattoo on their foreheads like Luna. Their attention turned to Luna and Usagi when they ascended onto the stage.

"Luna, this is unacceptable!" a bald man sitting on the left end said angrily. "You were the one who called the meeting of the Keepers to order, and then have the nerve to be twenty minutes late. What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, can it, Pious!" Luna retorted. "It wasn't my fault. Blame mankind's one hope over here."

She pointed with her thumb at Usagi. Usagi stood, contemplating her own interlocked fingers when as all gazes turned to her.

"Hi," the girl awkwardly smiled.

She looked up at the seated figures before her. It had been Luna that called her. Now the raven haired human was taking one of the three vacant seats for herself. An elderly gentlemen that sat in the middle seat of the bench stood. His thin white hair was combed back. He was short and very thin, delicate looking, even. His long oval, wrinkled face bore sharp cool blue eyes that stared with intent at Usagi. He had a long, ski slope of a nose. He had no facial hair to speak of, but he had glasses with wide, thick lenses. He wore a black double breasted jacket with a black power tie with matching black pants.

"Welcome, Usagi Tsukino, I am Myddin, Head of the Court of the Keepers, which you stand before now," he said with strained tone.

Usagi could tell the man had a quiet voice and was having to struggle to make himself heard, even with a microphone placed in front of him. He gestured to the other people at the bench and then out into the gallery.

"Hi," Usagi said shyly.

She blinked. Wait. Why she was being so complacent, she had a bone to pick with these guys.

"And these are my direct subordinates," Myddin said.

Again, he gestured to the others at the bench. His attention first turned to that Pious fellow that had yelled at Luna earlier. He had a square face that ended in a prominent chin with a cleft. He had very thick eyebrows and dark brown eyes. Most of his hair had long taken leave of his head, with little remaining. He also wore a suit, a gray one, with a red and gold striped necktie. He had a much larger frame and build than Myddin. He had the look of a middle aged man.

"You've already met Pious, I believe. You'll have to forgive his harsh manner. He's been given authority over ensuring rules and regulations are followed."

"I'll be forgiven for nothing," Pious protested.

The stern man turned to Usagi.

"Why did you make both yourself and Luna late?" he demanded.

"Well, _excuuuuuse me_, Baldy, but I have friends in the hospital right now, thanks to that monster from last night," Usagi shot back.

Pious stiffened, but said nothing more.

"Impetuous child," Pious muttered with disdain.

Usagi was about to make a retort when she was interrupted.

"That's enough out of both of you!" a red-headed woman said piercingly.

She sat next to Pious, in fact. Cold crimson eyes to match her hair seemed to look into the core of Usagi's soul. She had a round face and muscular build that contrasted Luna's thin and agile frame. She looked no older than Luna, who appeared to be somewhere in her twenties.

"Rusila," the woman identified herself.

"Kratos," the man sitting next to her said.

He was a large man of physical power. He wore a long-sleeved button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had no tie and his jacket was hung around the back of his chair. His size and muscles reminded Usagi immediately of that Austrian action star. This Kratos had sandy blonde short hair and triangular face shape with a circle beard. He had green-blue eyes that were no less intense in their stare than Rusila's. If Usagi had to guess, he'd have placed him in his thirties.

"You've already become acquainted with Luna," Myddin said.

He placed on hand on her shoulder, as she sat to his right. The next over from Luna was an older woman who seemed about the same age as Pious. Her dark hair was graying, and her beauty, while still present and very distinguished, was fading. Gray eyes and an oblong face. She wore some kind of old fashioned fancy navy blue dress.

"Hello, Usagi, my name is Jocelyn," she said warmly.

"And you can call me, Wren," the last one said.

He had bright red long hair that hung loosely over her shoulders. He flashed his best charming grin her eye and let Usagi get a good look into his deep blue eyes. Other than Myddin, he was the most slightly build man there, and had a thin face to match.

"Sadly, our last member, Artemis, is not present today," Myddin said.

"How irresponsible," Pious spoke disapprovingly. "That man has always done as he pleases."

"You will watch what you say about Artemis, Pious," Luna almost yelled. "If he's not here, than it means he's occupied with something very important!"

Pious just sneered but looked away.

"Just one is missing," Usagi asked. "But there're nine seats."

"Orion. He's been missing for quite some time," Kratos explained.

"You must have many questions," Myddin said.

Usagi looked seven over one by one.

"Yeah, just who and what are you people? I don't get what the Keepers are," she said.

"You didn't tell her _anything_?" Pious asked Luna incredulously.

Luna stood to address Usagi.

"We are the Keepers," she said. "For a millennia now, this is an organization that has been guiding mankind to better enlightenment and keeping it safe from another world lying just around the corners of the one you see every day. The Rake was just a sample of what that other world is. It's always there, whether you can see it or not. That, Usagi, is where the Keepers come in."

"So," Usagi cried. "Luna, you said last night that you guys can't actually kill powerful monsters like The Rake, right?"

"Correct."

"What was your job? Cover up the murders, and then let the monster continue to roam free? No offense, old timer," Usagi turned to Myddin. "But I'm not so sure you people were worth meeting."

Pious, Rusila, and Kratos immediately stiffened, how this child dared to act so disrespectfully towards Myddin offended them. Jocelyn and Luna sighed while Wren tried suppressing a laugh, each knowing what was to come.

"_That_ 'old timer', as you so rudely called him, is Myddin. The best of us," Pious sneered.

"I don't see what's so special about him, or any of you," Usagi retorted.

"Excuse me?!" Rusila snapped.

"Pfft," was all Kratos said.

He crossed his arms and turned from the blonde.

"You oh so great guardians of humanity lied to everybody and reprogrammed my friends into thinking that _a cat_ mauled them last night!" Usagi yelled defiantly. "And that's just what I've seen since I got to school this morning."

"You know not of what you speak," Pious said dismissively.

"You're right. I don't, thanks to you. When that thing tried to slice us up and eat us, we had no idea what to do! 14-16 people died in one night, including children! Just how many times did you keep it under wraps when it wiped people out, anyway? Did you ever even _try_ to catch it? What good are any of you?"

Images of that man that had carried Naru's mother to safety before being dragged into the darkness and getting killed himself flashed in her mind.

"It is by _our_ efforts that you don't live in fear of a real monster under the bed every night. It is because _Luna_ awakened your power that you weren't killed by The Rake!" Pious protested angrily.

Just as things were about to become truly unpleasant, Myddin raised both hands in the air.

"That is enough," he spoke with a surprisingly commanding voice. "There is a lack of communication here! Instead of taking offense and attacking one another for perceived wrongs, perhaps our time would be better spent explaining ourselves."

"I have no objections," Kratos said plainly.

"But, sir," Pious said.

Myddin held up a hand to stop him again.

"We always knew this would be a thankless task," Myddin said.

He turned to Usagi.

"Usagi, I assure you, that our actions do have their purpose, but let us start at the beginning."

"I'm listening," Usagi said, crossing her arms.

Myddin cleared his throat.

"I believe you asked, 'what good are we'? Well, we may not be able to kill the more potent of horrors, we can certainly hinder them. That has been our task to keep them at bay since the order was founded, and continue to do so until the coming of the Celestial Warriors, and the Moon Princess. Fore they are the ones that will pierce this present darkness."

"Eh?" Usagi responded.

She pulled the bladeless hilt out of her book bag.

"Me?" she asked.

"Yes, Usagi, **you** are one of six chosen individuals we've been waiting for to put an end to this encroachment. Celestial Warrior Moon," Luna said. "You're the first to appear, in fact."

"Er, but why me, and how do you know this?" Usagi asked.

"It must be that you're of the blood of the Silver Millennium. I can also tell you possess a strong, good heart. As for how we know, it has been foretold," Jocelyn replied.

"By who? And what's a silver millennium?"

"Queen Serenity, the last queen of The Silver Millennium," Wren replied.

"The Silver Millennium was a great kingdom founded many eons ago," Luna said. "It was a land unlike another other, not because of military prowess or its size, but for the power it wielded: The Silver Crystal, a sacred item of unimaginable power. It was coveted by all."

"Coveted by The Dark Kingdom, above all else, in fact," Myddin explained. "The Dark Kingdom was founded by uniting corrupted humans and dark creatures alike under their queen, Beryl, the servant of another otherworldly power above even herself. They set upon The Silver Millennium like jackals, and in the end they destroyed it and killed most of its people. Their victory came with a price, fore Queen Serenity still had the power of The Silver Crystal. She used its power in her last stand, sundering their forces, utterly crippling them, at the cost of their own life.

"Before passing on, she then sent The Silver Crystal and the power of the fallen Celestial Warriors into hiding until they're called by their chosen wielders. Then issued one last order to her subjects: guide humanity into an age of understanding and keep the Dark Kingdom at bay until the awakening of the Celestial Warriors. That time has begun to come to pass.

"The surviving members of the royal court founded the Keepers. They used their knowledge and expertise to gain favor in other lands, rising up through the ranks of societies garnering wealth, power, and connections. Thus The Keepers was founded, an independent organization of influential individuals that has guided mankind's course ever since. To this day, their descendants still carry out that order.

"The first Keepers used the edge Serenity's last stand had given them to drive the beasts of the dark back into the dark depths of the Earth. In time, humankind began to forget that they ever even existed and knowledge of monsters and dark entities became legends. Humankind was able to begin prospering as they never had in time, under the guidance and protection of The Keepers.

"But that's about to come to an end. The Dark Kingdom has begun to grow stronger again, taking root in the pits of humankind's depravities under Beryl's rule. They still seek The Silver Crystal. We must find the Moon Princess to call it before they find it. Usagi, until the other Celestial Warriors begin to surface, you are our only hope," Myddin finished.

Usagi stood in bewildered silence for a long time after that.

"Wha…wait a minute…" Usagi stuttered.

She stumbled over words, trying to form a coherent sentence.

"I understand," Myddin said. "It's a lot to digest, but…"

"But nothing!" Usagi yelled. "You expect me to fight some war for you? Alright, I get what you do now, but that still doesn't explain why you have to spread lies instead of just telling people what really happened!"

"Were you not paying attention?!" Pious rasped exasperated. "There's always some vile thing waiting in humankind's shadow for the chance to strike. The only way people can carry on with their normal, happy lives is if they. DO. NOT. KNOW ABOUT IT. The panic something like The Rake could induce would be catastrophic, and would hinder our ability to deal with it."

"_Your _ability to deal with it? From where I'm standing, _I _did all the dealing," Usagi argued.

"And for that, we thank you," Rusila said.

Rusila then smiled for the first time in the meeting.

"And we thank for the other abominations you can slay. Will you take up arms against these terrors?"

"What? Hey, whoa, there. I never said I was going to be your stooge! This…this is just too much for me!"

"You won't be alone," Luna said reassuringly.

"No one's asking you to be at our beckon call," Kratos said. "But the fact remains that you're the first person to exterminate a monster of The Rake's caliber in over a thousand years."

"Why don't I take you home, and let you give it some thought? Take all the time you need," Luna offered

Pious laughed at Luna's naiveté.

"Time?!" Pious asked with a derisive tone to his voice. "Just how much _time_ do you think we have?"

"Like hell I will! It's got nothing to do with me!" Usagi shook her head.

She turned and started to leave the stage. Luna was about to protest when her cell phone went off. Usagi turned back to her curiously.

"Why is her pocket ringing like a phone?" Usagi asked.

Luna pulled it out of her jacket and answered.

"This is a cellular phone, Usagi. The market will begin flooding with them in a few years. Don't go anywhere," Luna answered.

She put the phone to her ear.

"Hello? Artemis? What is it? Why are you yelling? Alright, I'll put you on speaker phone."

She pressed a button on the decise. Artemis's muffled voice cracked over the speaker.

"Is everyone there?"

"Yes, we can hear you, Artemis, what is it?" Myddin asked.

"It's The Rake!"

Usagi felt her blood go cold. She froze in place at the mention of its name.

"It's not dead. I don't know how, but it regenerated itself through one of its victims at the Azabu Jūban Morgue."

"Send help, hurry!" they heard Sailor V's voice shout from a little ways away.

"Wendigo," Kratos muttered.

"V and I just arrived in time to get the civilians out," Artemis said, his voice becoming more frantic. "We've locked it in here with us, but we're not exactly sure where it…oh, shit!"

_"I am here, Warrior," _the entire room heard it's piercing voice wail into the speaker.

"Artemis! Artemis," Luna shouted.

She read the message on the screen in horror. "Call Ended."

"Oh, no," Luna whispered desperately.

"It-It's back?" Usagi asked, fearfully.

Luna turned to Usagi.

"Do you still think this has nothing to do with you?"

Usagi recalled what Luna had told her the night before: _"It will continue to maim, kill, and destroy! It remembers the scent of its victims and will seek out those who share it! Your family will be next!" _

"Myddin. Usagi and I will go rendezvous with Artemis and Sailor V," Luna said.

Myddin nodded his approval.

"That is unless the Moon warrior _wants_ to spend the rest of her life guarding her family, day and night, from it," Luna said.

"Like hell I do!" Usagi cried. "Alright, alright, I'll go."

"Good," Luna said. "We leave immediately."

She got up and tried to call Artemis back. She felt a chill go down her spine when she received a recording instead of the usual ringing: "We're sorry, but this phone has been shut off or disconnected. Please try again later."

"Hold on," Kratos spoke.

He also stood.

"If the Moon Blade Boomerang finishing move wasn't enough to stop it permanently, you will need additional aid. I will accompany you, and I want you to come along as well, Jocelyn."

"If you insist, Kratos," Jocelyn nodded.

"I'm coming, too," Rusila said.

"Do what you want. Let's go," Luna said hastily.

"Meeting is adjourned," Myddin announced.

Usagi ran off the stage. Pious got to his feet.

"Hold," he called.

"What," Usagi exclaimed.

"Don't bother going with them unless you're willing to accept the burden of being Celestial Warrior Moon," Pious said harshly. "I understand that you're protecting your family from this horror, but you don't get to pick which evils you fight. There are other demons just like it out there, creating new victims like the ones from last night. Can you really ignore them just because they have nothing to do with you?"

"I don't have time for this!" Usagi cried.

"Rake first, decisions later," Rusila concurred.

Usagi looked out into the gallery.

"Hey, can't some of these guys help?" she asked.

"They have their own responsibilities," Pious answered.

The four Keepers and the girl ran past the aisles towards the exit as the other Keepers began to stand. Pious shook his head.

"You have to have faith, Pious," Myddin said to him.

"It's been a long road, Myddin," Pious replied. "To hear first of those we've been waiting for reject her responsibility so easily… I'm also still not sure about giving such a vague retelling of our past to her."

"We have to give her time on both fronts," Myddin assured.

He put a hand on Pious's shoulder.

"Have you ever heard of the Montauk Daisy?" Myddin asked.

Pious looked at his old friend with a blank expression, not getting the question.

"The Montauk doesn't blossom in the Spring or Summer, but in the Fall," Myddin explained. "It's a late bloomer, to be sure, but very beautiful when its time comes. Try to be patient to her."

Pious bowed.

"I will. Thank you, Myddin."

* * *

The four Keepers and the girl threw the door open and rushed to the exit of the convenience store. They passed by Joe, who hadn't moved since Usagi last saw him.

"Thanks for coming," he said after them.

"Wait, what're you guys going to ride in? Luna only has a motorcycle," Usagi asked.

"Oh ye of little faith," Jocelyn replied.

She reached into her purse and pulled out what looked to Usagi's eyes to be a garage door opener. She pressed the button, and a moment later, a driverless car rounded the corner of the store and stopped near them.

"Cool," Usagi uttered.

* * *

A young man's feet pounded the pavement of the sidewalk as he was exited his apartment complex, off on his afternoon jog. He wore a gray tank top with a black exercise pants that had white stripes down the sides. Just as he rounded the corner at the end of the block, the cell phone in his pocket rang. He pulled it out and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, kid. Something's going down at the Azabu Jūban Morgue. That's where the police took the people The Rake killed," the voice on the other end said.

"Understood. I'm on my way."

* * *

At the Azabu Jūban Morgue, the police had already set up a barricade around the building. No one was getting in, or out, without their notice, not even a rake. Curious on-lookers came as close as they dared. A police emergency at a morgue of all places was not a common occurrence.

Several more police cars pulled up. Their drivers climbed and approached the officers that were already on the scene.

"What's going on, Kuroi?" asked a particularly frail looking officer.

"We don't know yet, Shiroi. Only that some lunatic attacked the workers and now an inspector and Sailor V are trapped inside with him," Kuroi replied. "Tamako was one site when it happened. She'll know more than I."

Kuroi promptly received a smack across the back of the head. He winced and clenched his eyes shut.

"Hello, Hanako," he said, fear in his voice.

"How many times do I have to say not to call me that?" the policewoman asked crossly.

"What happened in there," another asked.

"I don't know, Akai," Hanako replied. "The Morticians were showing Inspector Ishida and Sailor V what they'd learned from the autopsy when _it_ _burst_ out of one of the refrigerated compartments they keep the bodies in. Then it tried to attack us. It looked like a diseased naked man! It...Its face was the worst part! It didn't have eyes! What was I looking at?"

"Stay focused," Akai commanded. "What happened next?"

"V made some kind of foul smelling smoke shoot out of her hand at it, which stunned it. I was about to draw my gun when Ishida ordered everyone out. We did as he ordered. Once we did, he locked himself and Sailor V inside with that thing. We tried to get back in, but he had taken the Morticians' keys!"

"And morgues have thick metal doors," Shiroi commented.

"Sakurada said that the head office called. They're sending someone to deal with it," Hanako said.

The revving of a pair of nearby vehicles made them turn their attention to a car and a motorcycle that just pulled up. A woman in formal attire and a blonde police woman got off the motorcycle while three more officers piled out of the car and approached them.

"Inspector Kagome Takahashi," Luna held up a fake badge. "And these are my associates. We've been called in deal with this pest."

Usagi started to wave at the quartet before getting elbowed by Rusila. Kratos and Jocelyn remained silent.

"Superintendent Natsuna Sakurada's been expecting you. This way, please," Kuroi said.

He pulled back one of the wooden barricades, allowing them to enter. He led them over to Sakurada, who was speaking into a radio. A fully geared SAT team captain* stood nearby, awaiting orders.

"Superintendent, ma'am," Kuroi said.

"Hang on," she said into the radio.

She turned to face Kuroi.

"Yes."

"These people are here to see you."

Sakurada looked the five people over. They were dressed like they were a part of the police force, but she didn't recognize a single one of them. A black haired tall woman, accompanied by a blonde officer who looked a bit too young to be on the force, an older graying woman, a red-headed policewoman, and a large sandy blonde behemoth of a man.

"State your names," Sakurada commanded.

"Inspector Takahashi, and these are Officers Soryu, Emya, Tsukino, and Tsubasa. You've probably been told we were coming."

"I know, though why would they want to send just five regular officers is beyond me," Sakurada said skeptically. "Alright, go on in, but I want radio confirmation from you every fifteen minutes. If I don't get radio contact from you in that time frame, I'm sending my team in. We just pulled up the schematic of the building. The room you want is down the center hall that's across from the front door. It's the room at the end of the hallway, dead center."

"Understood, and thank you," Luna stated.

Sakurada snorted.

"Don't thank me. Just try to come back alive," she said bluntly.

Luna turned to Usagi and the other three.

"Alright, let's go," she ordered.

"Do I have to?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," Kratos and Rusila replied.

Kuroi quickly repeated to them what Hanako had told him before they went.

At the door, Jocelyn stopped. She turned around and looked out into the crowd. Somehow, she felt as though they were being watched. Zoicite smirked at them, watching their every move from the anonymity of the crowd.

"So The Rake lives," he thought.

His lip curled up in another unfriendly half-smile at his enemies.

"So just what is our little celestial warrior capable of, I wonder. And can our eyeless prince of a thousand kills take her?"

* * *

Usagi glanced around the dark interior of the morgue. Nothing seemed out of place at all. In fact, it was very quiet. The kind of tight silence that felt like it might come crashing in on you if you broke it.

"The door's still shut," Rusila said. "But it can break through them, so who knows how long Artemis and V have been alone with it."

"Wooden doors, yes, but I've never heard of The Rake hammering open a big, heavy metal one before," Kratos replied.

"Transform, now," Luna ordered Usagi.

"Huh, right," Usagi replied, nervously.

With a flash, she was in her celestial gear and holding aloft her blades. Luna's spear materialized in her hand, as did the other weapons of the Keepers. Kratos now held a sword and shield, Rusila had a mace and Jocelyn had a staff.

"I really don't want to do this," Usagi whimpered to the adults.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down, but she couldn't. She was too afraid to calm down. She felt Luna place a hand on her shoulder. She looked at the older woman.

"I have your back," she promised Usagi.

She could only nod weakly back. For the first time, she felt she could trust Luna. With that they advanced towards the autopsy room. Jocelyn remained behind. She walked to the outer wall and placed her hand on it. The area around her hand glowed.

"I'm putting a seal on the whole structure," she called to them. "We can't have that thing getting out, though I wonder if that will do any good. Call if you need anything."

Rusila nodded wordlessly to her. When they came to the door of the autopsy room, they saw claw marks across the window. It wasn't shattered because it was plexiglass, though they doubted that was the real reason the window was still intact. They peered inside.

Usagi could see Sailor V standing in the middle of the room holding something that looked like a compact like it was a weapon. Her eyes darted all around, her head and body making swift motions. She pivoted her feet deftly. She looked frightened, and tired. She was breathing heavily.

The room around her was the very definition of a war in an enclosed space. Everywhere, equipment, tables, gurneys, and more laid scattered, damaged, and turned over all over the space.

Luna gasped and cupped a hand over her mouth when she spotted Artemis. He was sitting against the far wall holding his side. His shirt was stained with blood. His crushed cell phone laid on the ground in several pieces. Next to him on the floor was a pile of blue mechanical syringe pumps that Luna recognized as containing the counteragent for The Rake's curse. His eyes were closed and his breathing labored. Also on the far wall, they could see that several of the refrigerated compartments had been opened and improperly closed.

"Jocelyn, we have a man down," Rusila said into one of their two-way radios. "I repeat, man down. It's Artemis."

Next to her, Kratos to giving the same report to Sakurada.

Usagi leaned in and tapped on the window. V spun around with her weapon raised like she was about to throw it. When she saw who it was, she lowered it again, and let out a deep whooshing breath. She glanced around again. Luna gestured to the lock. V nodded, and backed up to the wall next to Artemis. She crouched down. Now that Usagi had a look at him, he seemed _very _familiar.

"That white hair," she thought.

Then she remembered. He was the inspector that interviewed Ami and her. He had a moon symbol upon his brow now, too. Well, that explained how they were able to give false information to the media.

Artemis opened his eyes and looked over to them with a dull stare. He muttered something to V. She nodded, reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out the keys. Then she stood and slowly made her way towards them. There was no movement other than Sailor V's. Usagi held her breath, too scared to even breathe. She just knew that V would be attacked at any moment.

"Where is it?" Kratos asked agitatedly.

"It's hidden itself very well in there," Rusila concurred.

"It's watching everything. Just waiting for the chance to spring at someone," Luna said ominously.

V reached the door and put her back to the wall. She tried out the keys, one by one, until she finally found one that worked. She fumbled with it, trying to get it to open without taking her eyes off the surrounding room. When at last she got it open, Luna pushed it open and past her, dashing over to Artemis.

"Wait," they all cautioned, but were ignored.

When Luna reached Artemis, she dropped onto her knees and cupped his face in her hands.

"Artemis! Artemis!" she whispered dreadfully.

His eyes opened and looked at her.

"Luna," he moaned.

"Yes," Luna replied.

Her hands went down to his wound.

"Let me see it," she said.

He lowered his hand while Luna pulled open his already unbuttoned shirt. He had been pressing a clean towel against it. She lifted it from the wound. She closed her eyes, steeling her nerves, and looked. There were five deep lacerations on the side of his stomach, and he was bleeding badly. Luna fought to stay collected and withhold tears.

"Oh, Artemis," she whispered anxiously.

Kratos was the first to step in close.

"That was reckless!" he said critically. "What were you thinking just rushing into the room like that?"

"Where is it?" Moon asked V.

They both remained by the threshold of the door.

"I don't know, I _was _fighting it and stuff, like, trying to keep it in this one room, but then it jumped behind that pile of chunk over there and I haven't seen it since."

V pointed at a particularly large cluster of chairs, tables, and other things that ended up piled together in the corner during the chaos.

"You didn't kill it?" Moon whispered in a frightened voice.

"Why? So it could just come back to life again somewhere else?" V asked.

"Hi, I'm Sailor V, by the way," the other blonde then added.

She held out a hand. Usagi shook it.

"Celestial Warrior Moon, soldier for love and justice," she replied.

"Hey, that's my line, but I'll let it go this time," V joked.

"Would you two get it together? This is serious!" Rusila exclaimed.

V stuck out her tongue at Rusila. Stupid Viking Amazon should know she was just trying to lighten the mood.

Jocelyn stepped in past the girls and over to Artemis.

"I'll take care of him. You just deal with The Rake," she instructed Luna.

"Right. Pair off and search. Moon, you're with me. V, you're with Kratos. Rusila, watch Jocelyn's back."

"Right," Moon and V said together.

In Jocelyn's hands, some kind of first aid box materialized.

The two pairs searched different parts of the room. They worked their way carefully through it. They would peer around an object or pile, expecting to be attacked. They never were. They all could have sworn they saw his hollow eyed visage watching them some amongst the rubble more than once.

Kratos looked along a wall, and saw something covered by an upturned work bench. With effort, he yanked it away from the wall. A crawlspace approximately 4-by-4' had been dug into the wall. His eyes narrowed.

"Whoa, I didn't even hear him do that," V whispered, very much surprised.

"Hey, guys, I think we found where The Rake went," she then called over to Luna and Moon.

Kratos got down on his knee, shining flashlight down it. It was a long tunnel that seemed to go through brick, which did not match the materials used for the morgue. Beyond, just pitch black.

V stooped down next to him.

"What the…isn't this room at the back of the building?" she asked.

Indeed, it was. The only thing that _should_ have been on the other side of this hole was the alley behind the morgue. Sailor V tilted her head to the side, confused. Luna and Moon came up behind them, and dropped down to get a look.

"Well, that explains how he got here from Spain so fast. Looks like The Dark Kingdom made him a Connection," Luna said.

"A Connection…to what? And Connected how?" Moon asked.

"So it's a hole like the Keepers use," Sailor V answered. "He can go anywhere that's Connected."

"You can't just make holes that go anywhere you want. You have to physically traverse the distance in this reality to a new location the first time when one isn't provided by a third party," Kratos said. "People sometimes leave windows or basement doors open. Either way, he only needs access to your home _once_."

"So The Dark Kingdom," Sailor V stated. "Artemis said that Rake's never been in Japan before."

A hiss echoed out at them, making them all retreat a pace from the opening.

"He's waiting for us in there," V uttered, anxiously.

"What do we do," Moon exclaimed.

"Cut…the threads," Artemis managed to groan.

"Artemis, don't talk. Save your strength," Jocelyn instructed.

"No…someone…get me a phone," Artemis muttered with difficulty.

"Artemis," Jocelyn insisted.

"Now!" Artemis almost shouted.

Jocelyn was a bit taken back by this outburst and hastily handed him hers'. He quickly dialed a number and then put it to his ear. After about three rings, someone answered.

"Hikawa Shrine, Hibiki Hino speaking. How can I help you?" the voice of an old man spoke.

"Mr. Hino, it's Inspector Ishida," Artemis said.

"Ishida? You sound terrible, my boy. Is something wrong?"

"Listen, a very powerful demon is loose in Tokyo," Artemis instructed. "I need the following addresses cleansed. Make sure to take Rei with you."

Artemis listed off all the houses The Rake had been to, the morgue, and an eighth location, a warehouse. Artemis hung up and went slack against the wall again.

"Alright," he wheezed. "Go get him. You can trust Hino and his granddaughter with the task I've given them. They do good work. I pumped the other victims full of the curse's counteragent. I hope that keeps him from coming back as one of them again."

"That's a medicine meant for the living," Jocelyn told him.

"Better than nothing," Artemis muttered.

"If they're going to cut all the cords coming back to Japan, we can just guard this hole until they show up," Moon said.

"No," Luna said decisively. "We've never been this close to taking down The Rake before, let alone able to confirm any of his methods."

"Bu-But, I don't wanna go down the scary tunnel!" Moon cried.

"And if you don't, he can still make victims of people elsewhere. Just like your friends' neighbors last night."

Moon bowed her head. Her shoulders slumped. She knew Luna was right. She looked at the others, her mind still divided on the issue.

"Is this invitation only, or can anyone join this party?" a voice asked.

Everyone whirled around in the direction of the intruder, but saw nothing. Then one of the grates of the air ducts was kicked from the ceiling and a figure dropped into the room. He landed on his feet gracefully.

"Phantom Mask!" Moon and Luna yelled.

"How in blazes did you get in here!" Rusila demanded.

"You handed us The Rake last night," Moon said.

"Right you are, my pretty little soldier," he replied.

He walked over to her and stood inches from Usagi.

"Tell me one thing. Are you serious about this or just some child playing hero. Just go home and stop being an eyesore if you're not," he demanded evenly.

Usagi's eyes narrowed as they stared into his. She wasn't about to let him talk big like that and just get away with it.

"That monster has to be stopped, and I'll make sure I do it _right_ this time," Usagi replied in a raised voice, surprising even herself.

"Whoa, where'd that come?" she wondered.

"I guess we'll see what you're really made of then," he replied.

"You bet you will. Just try not to slow me down," Usagi growled, trying to sound as menacing and resolute as she could.

Phantom Mask smiled.

"Good," was all he said.

"Does she seriously not see how he's goading her?" Sailor V whispered to Luna.

Luna just shrugged.

"You're certainly an audacious young man," Kratos observed.

"Ha! You haven't seen _anything_ yet!" Mask replied wryly.

"Let's do this," Usagi said.

She steeled her nerves, hunched down, and started into the crawlspace. She stopped when she saw how dark it got in there. She knew she'd need a light source, and turned to ask for Kratos's flashlight. Out of the corner of her eye, saw a gleam and jumped in surprise. Her blades were glowing. She knew immediately that they were answering their master's wishes. Now the way ahead was lit.

"Whoa, Swiss Army double sword-thingy!" Usagi said, impressed.

She went in, with Phantom Mask following suit.

"He-hey, wait up!" Sailor V cried.

"Be careful," they heard Artemis call.

She crawled in after them, Luna bringing up the rear. Kratos planted himself firmly at the entrance of the passage, ready for anything.

It was a dingy and dreary tunnel. Mold grew on the stone walls around them, and here and there a rat scurried by. Pieces of litter and chunks of cloth were scattered all over the floor, which made moving silently impossible. Every now again, they would come across dark red strains, sometimes in the shape of fingers running in long lines along the ground and walls. It didn't take much imagination to know they were probably left by people The Rake had dragged through there.

They had been walking for a while now, and Usagi was beginning to wonder how long this tunnel was.

* * *

"By-by, Rei! The bus is here," a little girl called.

"Take care, Mii," Rei waved to the child.

Rei returned to sweeping the front step of the shrine, humming a tune as she worked. Her eyes moved from side to side as she went.

"I know there's something wrong here in the city. I just wish I knew where," she thought.

The front door opened. Out of the corner of her eye, Rei could see her grandfather standing in the doorway.

"Rei, we're closing up the shrine for the rest of the day. We have work to do," he said.

Rei turned to him with a serious look. She knew what this meant. There was an evil spirit afoot.

* * *

"Here's the end, guys," Moon announced.

She stepped out of the tunnel and stood up straight. She got out of the way of the tunnel, stretching.

"Ah, much better," she beamed.

"Where are we?" Sailor V asked.

"Oh, no," Luna said in a low voice.

She took the final stride out and straightened. They were standing in a dark forest. A red moon shined overhead and the leaves of the trees were black as pitch. The ground was muddy and puddles were everywhere. All colors seemed to be completely muted even through the red tinted light that shined down from above. Sailor V shivered. It was also cold here.

"We're in The Land of Black Leaves," she answered quietly. "A Netherworld, and home of the Black King."

Luna's watchfully scanned their surroundings.

"Is the Black King the Dark Kingdom's boss or something?" Usagi wondered.

"That's Queen Beryl, though she answers to something just as wicked," Luna explained.

"Who is The Black King?" Phantom Mask said.

"Pray you never find out," Luna spoke soberly.

"Over there!" Sailor V shouted.

"What, where?" Usagi asked.

She looked around in several places at once. The Rake's voice pierced the air, but they couldn't tell from which direction. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"Everyone stand back-to-ba…" Luna started to say.

She was suddenly in a different location. It was some kind of black hedge maze, and she was alone.

"Usagi!" she cried. "Mask! Mina!"

* * *

Phantom Mask stood in the middle of nothingness. He tried to wait for his eyes to adjust, but there wasn't much light. He reached out and felt for something to guide him. He felt a wall. Not knowing what else to do, he started to feel his way along it through his new surroundings.

* * *

Mina held up and opened her compact. It lit the way. She was in some kind of cave.

"Hello, Luna! Moon! Masky!" she called.

No one answered her. She looked ahead and back, trying to decide to which way would be best to head in. She eventually just turned around and headed opposite where she was facing upon arrival, figuring that she had originally been meant to go that way.

* * *

"Guuuuuuuys!" Usagi whined tearfully. "This isn't funny! Please come back!"

She made short, ragged breaths, looking all around with a petrified gaze. She had turned her back to the others for just a second, and now they were all gone. Another of The Rake's howls rang out. It felt like the sound cut through her like a blade. Her entire body shook uncontrollably. She turned around quickly, making spastic movements.

She was alone. Alone with The Rake. She looked into the forest and leapt back. There he was, staring right into her with those black eyes. He was leaning out into the open from behind a tree. He hisses again and slinked back into the darkness.

She froze in place. She didn't dare move, blink, and or even breathe. It was deathly silent there. Not even a breeze rustled the branches and leaves. So the fact that she couldn't hear The Rake at all was even more unnerving. Gaining some control back over her muscle movement, she slowly turned and looked all around.

Every now and then, she'd catch a glimpse of it through the trees. She heard something rustle next to her. She whipped around! Nothing. She took a tentative step away. Then another, and another. She slowly made her way over the terrain back towards the crawlspace they'd come through.

She looked to where it was. She screamed hopelessly. It was gone! Just more forest where the opening had been! Now she was truly trapped with it.

_"WwwWwwarRRrrriiOorrr…"_ its voice hissed into her ear.

Usagi jolted. Nothing, again, but it had been so close she could have sworn it was there!

_"WWwwhyyyYY are littlllle chiillldrrennn afffrrraiiiid of the dark?"_

Usagi began to meekly snivel. Her eyes raced all around, looking for it. This went on for several minutes. She turned around, and was suddenly face-to-face with it. She shrieked and jumped back. It was gone again when she got her bearings.

_"It'ssss becaussse tthey know thaaaaat I can fiiiiind them in the daaaark."_

It sprang up from a patch of grass next to her, shrieking. She screamed in terror and swung her blades at it and came up empty. It departed too quickly to merely be slinking into shadows. Usagi blinked and rubbed her eyes. Was she really seeing anything at all?

She turned and started to run away. This wasn't like before, back in the real world. She knew now that she was in its territory, and it was using every advantage it had. She pushed off the ground, propelling herself high through the air in great bounds. She had to find help, someone else to back her up.

She didn't know how long she fled, but she never stopped seeing it everywhere she went. Usagi leapt over large thorn bush and suddenly found herself waist deep in bog muck.

"Eeeeeeeeek! It's cold!" she whined.

She tried to jump out of it, but her ascent barely reached over the surface before she landed again. She looked around and let out another whine. She began wading through the murky water towards its edge, back to dry ground.

'Plop,' she heard the surface of the murk go.

She glanced around, but didn't see any sign of The Rake. There wasn't even a hint that the surface had been disturbed anywhere other than where she'd landed. She marched through the water as fast as she could now.

Usagi laughed out of relief. She was almost to the water's edge. She lurched forward with a yelp and disappeared into the quagmire. Something had grabbed her ankles and yanked her feet out from under her. She barely had time to take a breath to hold before becoming submerged under the water.

She lost grip of her blades as she was dragged deeper into the bog. She couldn't see, she couldn't breathe, and she couldn't fight back. Something gripped her from behind and began tearing at the armor. She struggled to get away, but it had her held fast. She covered her face with his gauntlets protectively. She knew if she even got one scratch that it'd spread.

"No, get away from me! Somebody help me! Help!" she begged.

She began to strike out at The Rake with her hands and feet. She was almost out of the air and had to break free somehow. She felt herself fading, the breath she'd taken in was almost out.

"It can't end like this! NNNOOO!"

She was abruptly engulfed in a silver gleam. She felt her attacker was suddenly knocked away. Freed and without a moment to spare and she paddled for the surface. Her strokes were weak and weakening from the lack of air. She couldn't even see where she was going.

"Mmmmnnnn," she groaned.

The last of her strength, she felt could see the water seeping into her mouth and she began to go limp. Something rammed into her from beneath and jolted herself upwards. Her head broke surface. The shock had brought her back and he gulped in a fresh breath. The Rake roared in her ear deafeningly. He had her around the waist.

He dragged her under again.

"Sword…" she called weakly.

He held a hand high in the air. She called for it again before going under. Just as she submerged up to her wrist, the butterfly blade broke surface and flew over to her hand. She took it and drew it down.

"Glow," she commanded mentally.

The blades pierced the darkness of the murky waters. Now she could see her assailant. She jabbed it in the stomach, which dislodged its grip on her. Then she sliced downwards with the other blade, cutting it across chest. Then she swam away towards the nearest bank.

She trudged out onto the moist soil, gasping and coughing for breath. She started to turn around to face the next assault, but wasn't quick enough. It tackled her from the side, bearing her to the ground. She landed facedown. It was quick to crawl onto her back and twist one arm behind.

Usagi looked up and saw her sword just out of reach. She grabbed for it, mentally commanding it to come to her. It lurched off the ground towards her. Before she could get a grip on it, The Rake slammed her face into the earth with a good smack. The blow knocked Usagi senseless.

The Rake drew up its rancid lips, bearing its fangs as Usagi's armor flickered and vanished, leaving her an ordinary girl again. The blades of her sword withdrew, leaving only the hilt once more. It stood over her and howled up at the red moon in triumph. It looked down on her and raised both sets of talons into the air. Its arms tensed and twitched, ready to scrape her across the back and rip her to shreds.

A sharp pain went through its chest like an electric shock. It clutched at its breast and stumbled back before falling over. It looked down at its aching spot and found nothing aside from the wounds already inflicted before. It whipped its head around and again saw nothing.

It cried out. There it was again. Now it remembered this pain. Someone was undoing its rite to one of the locations in the human world. They were at one of the houses he had Connected with, in fact. It knew that whoever it was would have it done in another go. A thread any beast makes to another location is a part of itself. So when they're cut, they always feel the sting.

It looked at Usagi, and then away, trying to decide what to do. Just how many of its links to did this meddler know of?

It doubled over from the pain of the final blow. It looked over at Usagi, who was coming to. No! It wanted to enjoy this, but it knew that whoever was responsible would be in the next house in a few minutes. It crawled over and raked a cut across Usagi's shoulder.

Then it departed. She wouldn't be going far, and even if she could transform again, it didn't matter. She would be too weak to stand up to him now. After it took care of the nuisance, it'd have all the time in the world to show the girl that had killed it what it meant to endure true suffering.

**A/N: **You would not believe how deep I had to dig looking for a site that had an alphabetical list of the world's countries before I found one. The internet, in all of its endless futility, almost failed me.

*=A SAT team is basically a Japanese SWAT team, for anyone out there who doesn't know.

The idea for _The Land of Black Leaves_ originated with The Slender Man Mythos blog, _White Elephants_, and has since then been used by many.


	6. Chapter 5: Belly of the Beast

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

LoveInTheBattleField and TsukiyoTenshi: Thank you for the support.

Drew L:Actually, I wasn't going to bring him back at all, but then I thought long and hard about it. I did ultimately decide that it would be unfair to kill a public character like him as a first-off monster. The idea of giving The Rake "Wendigo" attributes was literally last minute.

**Chapter 5**

**Belly of the Beast**

"The evil has been dispersed from this place," Rei observed.

They stood in one of the Osaka's neighboring houses. The police officers overseeing the location just exchanged doubtful glances. The dragnet bringing in exorcists was unheard of. All the same, they couldn't complain. After reading the real report they sure didn't have a better explanations.

"But it's still radiating so strong from these other homes that we could practically touch it," Rei added.

She looked over at the rest of the homes. Though unseen with the regular eye, she and her Grandfather could see the curse of death upon the remaining five homes, hanging like a red tint over them.

"I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like this before, and I've seen some weird happenings since I've met Inspector Ishida," her grandfather Hibiki said.

They crossed over to the Osaka residence.

"Ready?" Hibiki asked Rei.

"Ready, Grandpa," she answered.

They gave each other a nod. They approached the house. Hibiki had a shide in hand. Rei brought out one of her standard paper wards. The window Makoto had been thrown through was sealed over with a plastic covering. They went up the front steps and opened the door. Hibiki and Rei paused at the door, covering their mouths with their robe's sleeves. This had _definitely_ been the abode the worse of it had happened in. They went in and let their sixth senses do the guiding.

Rei glanced over at the basement. The door had been torn off its hinges, and she could see the damage where they'd had ripped out of the wall. On top of that, there were dents in the walls, large claw marks on the floor, and the railing of the stairwell had been busted. An awful lot of force had been used there. The officers stepped into the home behind them.

"What kind of monster did this?" Rei wondered.

"This thing knows we're here now," Hibiki warned. "It will have felt us rebuke it from the other home. Be careful."

The officers exchanged glanced and unfastened the holsters, and kept their hands on their sidearms.

"I know. And I will, grandpa," Rei replied

She and Hibiki looked towards the basement again. It was definitely where the evil was radiating from. They stood at the open doorway. They began to chant a pray to prepare to cleans the house.

"Evil spirit be gone," Rei and her grandfather said as one.

They each held up of their purification tools. An inhuman screech erupted from the basement. Hibiki narrowed his eyes in determination. Rei gasped, shaken to the core it. Her skin turned to goosepimples. It was a terrifying noise. Not so much a voice, but a terrible, hateful sound.

"It's already found us!" Rei exclaimed.

Another roar rang out accompanied by the pounding of hands and feet upon the steps. The officers drew their guns and fixed them on the doorway. The Rake leapt onto the top of the stairwell. Rei screamed. In all her time as a miko, even she had never seen a manifestation like this before.

"Shit!" one of the officers yelled.

They opened fire on it, and the bullets ripped right through it. It growled at them as the oncoming balls of lead knocked it back.

"Stop. We got this!" Rei shouted.

Empty clips fell from their guns. They frantically grabbed for more. Rei saw her chance.

"So you finally show yourself," Rei said with disdain.

She charged right at the beast.

"Are you crazy?!" a policeman shouted.

The Rake straightened and brought both clawed hands up.

"I will not forgive you for the lives you've taken!" she shouted.

The Rake smiled. It wasn't every day that its prey threw itself right into his waiting arms. Rei brought one hand forward bearing her ward. She shoved it into the beast's breast. The Rake held back from attacking for just a second. It wanted to see the look on this shrine girl's face when the ward didn't work and she realized she had delivered herself to him. The Rake had on innumerable occasions enjoyed watching many a holy man from countless religions go from righteous determination to panic when their rebukes and blessings failed them. Only those with the utmost spiritual potential, resolve, and connection to higher power had ever exorcized it.

"Evil spirit disperse!" Rei commanded.

People for blocks around stopped dead or shook with fear when an unknown horrible wretched scream pierced the air. Back in the house, the two officers clapped their hands over their ears at the deafening sound. The Rake's body had combust into flames. Rei pulled back a completely unharmed hand with astonishment. She knew her spiritual powers were strong, but she'd never actually caused any phantasms to burst into flame before. The flames also did no damage to the interior of the abode, being spiritual flames that only harmed the wicked. Rei stepped out of the way just as Hibiki charged the monster. He waved the shide back and forth, shouting several warding chants.

The Rake lurched backwards a step as if it had been struck, and did so each time Hibiki waved the shide. No! Impossible! The flaming beast stumbled and tumbled down the stairwell into the basement from whence it came. Hibiki followed after it swiftly.

"Begone from this place, evil spirit!" he commanded.

By now, the flames were dying out. The Rake turned over and dragged itself back to the crawlspace. Hibiki pursued it every step of the way. When it reached its escape, The Rake growled back at the old man before vanishing through back into its realm. It collapsed into an agonized, weakened, and tired pile in the darkness of the netherworld.

It felt several painful tangs as the Hinos completed their work. The thread back to Osaka home was cut. It lied there for a long time. Every few minutes, the stings and barbs would return as they severed another tie back to the mortal world until at last all six homes were cleansed entirely.

* * *

Rei and Hibiki panted, and leaned over with their hands on their knees. The last home had been purified, and they're had no more visitations from that creature, whatever it was.

"At least now, the Osakas can safely come home now that that thing is purged," one of the officers observed.

"But their neighbors are gone," Rei whispered. "It will be a lonely feeling not to see friendly faces you once waved to and greeted every day anymore."

"Come, Rei, we still have work to do," Hibiki told his granddaughter.

"I know, grandpa," Rei replied.

She stood up straight.

"Will that creature be waiting for us at next location?" she wondered.

* * *

Slowly, the pain subsided, and its strength returned. It slowly rose onto all fours. The Rake let out a low growl. It was useless to try to oppose those two in their own world, but… It looked out onto The Land of Black Leaves. It could at least have some fun tormenting those buffoons it trapped in here with it.

* * *

Usagi collapsed onto her knees. She couldn't walk anymore without rest. She clutched her left shoulder tightly, but the throbbing pain would not subside. She whimpered pitifully. The pain was worsening, and she could feel the strength leaving her body. Panic began to settle in as one thought took root in her mind: she was going to die here. She was going to die in this awful place alone. No one was coming save her this time. She had been separated from her allies, friends, and her parents had no idea where she was.

Why had it left her alone? She looked behind her again, expecting to see it. Was it following her and letting her wallow in her own misery? Was it going to keep yanking her around until there was nothing left but death for her? These questions worsened her emotional state.

Looking around to make sure no one would see, she quickly pulled off her uniform top and took a good look at the scratches on her shoulder. They were bleeding freely still. The cut wasn't that bad yet, but it was definitely spreading. Before it just barely skimmed the top of her shoulder, but it was starting to reach down. She torn off one of the edges at the bottom of the shirt and bound it, hoping that'd do some good at least with the blood loss.

She pulled her shirt back on and forced herself back onto her feet. She took slow, deliberate, and sluggish steps across the dark plain she was in. She clutched her hilt tightly. She knew she had to cover ground as fast as she could.

* * *

There wasn't even a single light or star in the sky in this dark place Phantom Mask traversed. He could only make out the faint dark blue outlines of tall buildings surrounding him. He walked as quietly as he could. He had no idea what was in this wretched place with him.

As he went, he would keep a hand on the building next to him and when he came to the end, he'd carefully make his way over to the next one and the process began again. Every now and again, he'd hear the sound of feet patting and claws clicking on the pavement of the main road. Whenever he had, he either hide in an alley or found another nook or cranny to hide himself in. Either way, he'd go completely still and hold his breath so as not to make any noise.

He'd hear growling in the dark, much like a big cat akin to a lion or tiger would make, and occasionally, the screams of whatever poor soul crossed their path. At one point, he could make out the faint sounds of them eating their kill. He prayed he wasn't next.

He kept moving, and eventually reached an area at the edge of the city with smaller buildings. He didn't let his guard down, though. When he heard something, he still jumped and crouched anyplace he could hide. The latest creeper on the streets passed him by and entered an alleyway.

He silently passed that alley by on his trek. He was flat against the dark building as he went. Eventually, he came to the edge. After glancing around to make sure he wasn't about to get attacked. He peeked around the corner. There was a lone, small figure about the size of the child standing in the middle of the street.

Despite the darkness, he could see the figure usher him over with a wave. Mask cautiously rounded the corner and approached the person. As he neared, he could see it was a child, a young boy no older than ten. He stopped dead upon getting a real good look. The boy was as eyeless as The Rake.

"Will you share your light with me?" the boy asked sweetly.

"I don't understand," Mask replied.

The boy smirked and giggled.

"Silly. I need some of your light to see again."

Now he understood. He took a step back away from the boy. He raised his cane protectively.

"…I'm afraid my light is a little big for your sockets."

"So you don't want to share your light? You won't pay the price?"

"What price?" Mask asked.

Though he had a feeling he didn't want to know.

"You'll have to talk to the Tall Man. He'll make sure you understand what you pay if you _truly_ hate someone."

"Tall Man?"

Mask decided he didn't want to hear anymore about this "price".

"Just keep walking. He'll find you," the boy said.

With that, the child, or whatever it was, vanished. Not knowing what else to do, Mask kept going, hoping that that child wasn't telling the truth. He didn't round two blocks before he was approached again.

A tall man in a long dark overcoat and bowler hat came into view and right at Mask. Upon further inspection, Mask could make out the man's aged face.

"One of The Children tells me that you refused to give up some of your light, masked one," he said. "That's very unfair. You come here to have someone you hate stricken and you're not even willing to pay the price for it?"

"I don't want anyone hurt. I'm not even sure how I got here. I came into this world, this…dimension, with three others. We were pursuing a creature called The Rake back to its lair."

"A foolish and brash decision," The Old Man replied. "Here in The Land of the Black Leaves, reality itself is subject to certain denizens such as The Rake."

"Understood, then I have to find them."

The Old Man regarded him for a long time. Finally, he spoke again.

"Listen, boy, it's your own fault that your circumstances have come to this. You'd have been better off letting The Rake come to you in your own world. Here, you don't have a chance against him, and my Children were so looking forward to having someone share their light with them."

From both sides of the Tall Man appeared two eyeless children, and then more, and then more, until there was a mob of them.

"Hey, wait…" Mask replied.

"We want some of your light, masked man, and we're going to have it," the Children said in unison.

Mask took a step back holding his cane up in a defensive position as they approached him, reaching up for his eyes. He looked around, and even through the darkness he could tell he was hopelessly outnumbered. So he did the only thing he could do. He turned tale and ran for it. The Children giggled and took off after him. Behind, Mask could hear the sounds of a thousand little feet pounding the pavement after him.

* * *

Luna rounded the corner. The corner of her lip turned up a frustrated snarl. Another dead end. She looked down at her wrist watch to see how much time she'd spent running around this place. She wrinkled her brow and tapped the band. Her watch had frozen. Then again, she knew that. Time doesn't matter in The Land of Black Leaves, and any Keeper qualified to go in knows that.

She went back the way she came, keeping to the right wall the entire time. She was relying on the old adage since she didn't have a better plan. She had no idea where in this realm this maze was. Of course, no one had ever found a border to this nether realm in any direction, either, so who knew where The Rake had sent her. She grumbled under her breath. The ploy was obvious in hindsight. Let them in and then divide and conquer.

Or worse, lure them and leave them. Then return to the human world while its pursuers patiently guarded one hole of many or wandered lost until death claimed them one way or another. If by some miracle they survived, Luna swore to never to fight another beast in its own home again. The Rake's defeat had been a simple matter on the streets of Tokyo. There, in that labyrinth? Hell, it was probably watching her right then.

Guilt churned in Luna's stomach. Usagi hadn't wanted to come down here. Now she wished she hadn't made her, or let that boorish Phantom Mask provoke the girl into it.

Luna's thoughts were interrupted as her surroundings began to change. There was fog rolling in up ahead, seemingly with purpose. She readied her staff for anything, and trudged on. At first, the fog was only at her feet with perhaps a few whiffs higher up here and there. She went on a strange sensation came over her. She felt her heart growing heavier and heavier and the fog thickened. She was sure there was a connection.

Eventually, she stepped out into a small open square in the maze. There were two other openings ahead and to her right leading elsewhere, and a bench on the left. The concrete blocks making up the ground here were in odd shapes, to say the least, looking more like a new age artist had designed the flooring here. Luna went over and sat down. She leaned back, tilting her head up. The red moon was still overhead. She looked down and instead decided to stare to the ground rather than the depressing sight overhead.

As she was staring at the oddly shaped slabs of rock on the ground, she noticed something about them. It looked almost like they formed words, but she couldn't read them. She sat forward, trying to make them out, but she couldn't read the tongue. She got up and walked around to the other side. She had been trying to read them upside down. They were in English. Very stylized English, but nevertheless, English.

"Go to the grove at the center of the maze. There, you will find the door, but beware the bleeding tree," it read.

"Always riddles. It's never explained point blank," Luna thought.

The blocks formed an arrow that seemed to point in the direction that was behind her. She turned and began to follow it. There were no splitting paths down this way, which either meant she was walking into a trap or had found the end of the maze, or both. Either way, Luna knew not to hope for the best, and definitely expect the worse. She could see the end of the path up ahead. It came to another opening, this one far, far larger, more the size of a football field. It was a big grove of tree pink leafed trees It seemed to be at the center of the maze.

Unlike the dirt paths of the maze or the concrete flooring of the previous clearing, this place was covered in nicely trimmed bluish-green grass and the pink-leafed trees. The branches that didn't hang down too far at any point she could see. The fact that this place seemed pleasant and welcoming in contrast to the rest of this horrid, evil place alone was enough to make Luna very suspicious.

"Beware the bleeding tree"," she recalled.

A deadly foe was likely hidden among its more mundane relatives in this place. In the dim light of the red moon, she could make out what seemed to be a rectangle shape amongst the trees.

"That has to be the door," she thought.

Just beyond the door, she could also see a particularly large tree in the center. Thinking that must be the bleeding tree the words spoke of, in she went, but with care. At all times as she passed through towards the door, which oddly was in the large tree itself, she had her spear in hand. She stopped in front of it. It was wooden and plain in design.

"Must be another Connection," she reasoned. "Or I've just found the home of the Keebler Elves."

She looked over her shoulder. When she didn't see anything more out of the ordinary, she looked back at the door and tried the knob. It didn't turn.

"Locked! Damn it!" she cursed.

She took a step away, and held up her arms hopelessly. What was she supposed to do? She walked around the tree for some sign or clue. She came up something carved into it.

"Find the key. Beware the bleeding tree."

"Perfect," she muttered.

So she remained in there, searching the key out. Eventually, she came to a place where the trees fanned out making for a wider path. At the widest part she was a tree that was alone from the others. It was vastly different. Luna couldn't quite place the feeling, but it certainly had a presence to it like it was dissimilar. It was huge and tall. Unlike the other trees in this place, it had no leaves on its branches. In their place, some oddly shaped objects instead hung from every branch.

Luna inched her way closer, trying to make out the things in the tree's limbs. She gasped when she could finally recognize what they were. Bodies. They were bodies of people, impaled on the branches through their torsos. Worse yet, they were all people Luna knew.

"Usagi! Minako! Oh, Artemis! And Phantom Mask, too!" she screamed.

She raced towards them. Had The Rake gotten to them all and brought them here as some kind of sick trophies?

"Oh God, no! Please, no!" she yelled.

She began to cry when she could see their guts decorating the tree like grotesque Christmas ornaments. And then it moved.

Its bark shifted and rustled. Luna was about to make a run for it, but she felt a heavy weight suddenly press down on her hard enough to force her onto the ground on her hands and knees. Her vision warped as if she were in a plummet. She began to go light-headed. Darkness surrounded her, the light of the blood moon faded to a tiny speck. No longer was this otherworld bathed in its ill glow. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest.

Her panic began to go beyond her senses as it had never done before. Suddenly the world went so soundless that she feared she might have gone deaf. She used her spear as a crutch to pull herself weakly to her feet. Luna shrieked as the color seemed to be sapped from her vision. The silence was replaced with the thunderous noise of rushing rapids. She wobbled under the wavering strength of her legs, approaching the tree. She felt her limbs go numb and her chest hurt like her heart was caught in a vise that made it stop beating. Holding onto her last ounce of endurance, she stabbed the tree. It bled.

"It's bleeding…it's bleeding…it," Luna babbled, coughing.

She collapsed onto her side. The drip of the blood where she'd struck it shined as a tiny light under the red moon. Luna's body lurched and convulsed as nausea hit her. She vomited and cried until she left dry heaving. She went limp, lying on her side, gagging and coughing, and trying to calm herself.

Then she heard some kind of cracking noise, like wood giving away right after lumberjacks have completed their work and a tree is about to fall over. It was coming from the bleeding tree. She looked up and saw two slits side by side in the tree's side were opening. Then they widening, and as they did, they made the groaning sound trees make when they've actually starting to tumble over. They began to glow pale yellow. She realized she was staring into a pair of shining eyes.

To her horror, it hit her that it still wasn't finished with her. She felt her entire body go stiff as stone. She felt foul, like her flesh itself had become tainted and dissolving. She looked at her hand and tried to scream. Only a scratchy, low wail came out. Her hand was that was a decaying corps's. As the world went completely dark around her, she could no longer think. She knew only terror, and then knew nothing more.

* * *

The dimness seemed to loom in front of Sailor V. The light from her compact wasn't shedding it as well as it normally did, as if the murky cave's dark was palpable, perhaps even physical. She knew it was unnatural at any rate, just like everything else in this horrible place. She shivered every bit as much from fear as she did the cold in this unexplored, isolated location. She must have gone hundreds of feet through the main path of the fissure without seeing a way out yet. She was walking uphill at this point.

"I wish I had something other than this stupid mini-skirt and shirt," she said.

"Crescent Moon Power, Transform!" she commanded. "Make me a spelunker!"

In a flash, she was now wearing the warm and protective gear of someone going caving, complete with a hardhat with a headlight. She kept going until she came to a three-way split in the road, two paths to the right and the left, and a staircase downwards. V peered down, trying to see where the steps went, and then walked away from them.

"Yeah, right, go down the suspicious staircase in the creepy cave. What does this place take me more?" she asked.

She looked down passage, then the other.

"What would Artemis do?" she wondered.

In her mind, she pictured him if he were there with her.

"_I want you to go down the steps first," he'd say. "I'll be right behind you in case anything happens."_

"Oh, that's right," she recalled.

He had a tendency to let her draw out whatever they were hunting (or was hunting them) and then while it was busy trying to dismember her, he'd hit it from behind. At any rate, she came to a decision.

"I'll go down the right path, because people always say to go _the right way_," she proclaimed.

So she went, confident in her logic. Still, she at least had the sense to move forward with a degree of caution. She took tentative steps unable to shake the feeling that she was wrapped in a malevolent curtain. The space around her narrowed, and V took notice of a change in her surroundings. This passage was gradually become perfectly square, like it was dug out with actual tools. This filled her with hope. Perhaps she'd walked right out of the phantasmal realm?

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Mina," she reminded herself.

Eventually, the way curved around so that she couldn't see what was ahead. She rounded the way, hoping for an opening. She came to a big cavern, and... Ah-ha! Against the far wall, honest to god, manmade stone brick steps leading upwards. Upwards! Not further down into the cave of doom like those other suspicious steps. At the top was a big oak door that had a medieval door ring where one would normally see a modern knob. V almost jumped for joy at the thought of getting out of this place. She started towards the steps. Then something stirred in the darkness behind her, as if a pair of feet had shuffled across the floor from one spot to another.

She whipped around and stared down the passage she'd just come from. V could see something that wasn't there before. She couldn't quite see what it was yet, and she did not approach. It was a shoe that had been placed at the entrance of one of the passages she'd passed on her way over the stairwell. Minako could have laughed at the obvious set up.

"I suppose this is the part where I investigate and get over-whelmed. I don't think so," she thought. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool my three times, shame on Artemis. I'm outta here!"

She bolted for the staircase. She scaled it making big enough strides that she actually was skipping every other step until she reached the top. She yanked the door open and stepped through...only to have the ground suddenly give way under her. The trap door she had just stepped onto closed after she'd vanished into the abyss it plunged her into.

* * *

"Inspector Takahashi, come in," came the Superintendent's voice from the radio.

"Officer Soryu here," Jocelyn replied.

"She's not back from checking out the lead yet!"

"No, ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"Well, a priest and his granddaughter just arrived and claim they have to cleanse the morgue…"

"Yes, that's correct," Jocelyn answered. "Send them in right away."

"…Are you serious?"

"Yes, this was by the order of Ishida."

She could hear Sakurada sighing on the other end.

"Alright. Let 'em in, men," she heard the Superintendent say.

"I'll be right back, Ishida's exorcists have arrived," Jocelyn said.

"Be quick," Kratos told her.

She left the room and was briskly walked to the front entrance. She could see an officer leading Mr. Hino and Rei towards the building.

"I sense it," Rei said as the officer opened the door for them.

"So do I," Grandpa replied.

"Hello. You must be Mr. Hino and Rei," Jocelyn greeted. "I'm Officer Soryu."

"Well, hello," Grandpa purred. "What's a delicate little flower like you doing on the force? Have you ever considered working at a shrine?"

"Focus, Grandpa," Rei said firmly.

Jocelyn laughed pleasantly.

"Why, thank you, come right this way. The beast's entry point is in that room. Did you cleanse the other locations?"

"Yes, that evil spirit won't be infesting those homes anymore," Rei answered.

They followed Jocelyn into the room. Rei and her Grandpa spotted the hole the creature used immediately. Artemis had stood up with difficulty. Jocelyn regarded his disobedience of her orders crossly.

"Ishida!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Goodness, boy! You didn't try to fight that thing, did you?"

"Sort of, I didn't so much fight it as have it come back to life using the body of one of its victims as a vessel when I was consulting the morticians, really," Artemis replied.

"It can do that?" Rei asked shocked.

This was sounding less and less like any evil spirit she had ever encountered. She wondered if that could be why it reacted differently to her paper ward.

"We better cleans the bodies along with the building," Grandpa stated.

"Hold it," Kratos spoke. "You can't exorcize The Rake just yet."

"The Rake?" Rei asked.

"That's what it insists on being called. I have no idea why. We've sent some personnel down the hole after the beas…" Rusila started to say.

"YOU SENT PEOPLE IN?!" Rei yelled angrily.

"It's alright, I forgive you, my little turtledove," Grandpa said, taking Rusila's hand. "But that was most unwise."

"Is this guy for real?" Rusila asked.

She pulled her hand out of his reach.

"Yes we did," Artemis replied. "You don't need to worry, though. Sailor V and another, the Celestial Warrior Moon, went down that hole as well. Dealing with this monster is right up their alley."

"I see," Rei replied skeptically. "So, just how long ago was it?"

"Just over an hour ago," Kratos replied.

"Uh-huh," Rei said as if that's exactly what she expected to hear.

She looked at the others with resolution.

"I'm going after them."

* * *

The trees began to thin out around Usagi as she went around another bend. She stopped and leaned against a nearby tree, catching her breath. By now, she was using a fallen tree branch as a crutch to keep going. Her legs just didn't have the power to support her by themselves anymore. The wound on her shoulder had expanded beyond the reach of the bandages she'd wrapped it in, but at least it wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Hafta keep going… hafta," she muttered.

She pushed away from the tree and kept going. Not far away, she could see the terrain open into a dry sandy plain. At least there that thing couldn't hide behind anything. As she hobbled along, she soon began leaving the swampy area and the trees behind. Just as she cleared it, she spotted something to her left. It was an old house that didn't seem to belong there. It was like someone had just dropped it there and then decided to leave it there for whatever reason.

It was a ruined husk of what might have been a decent abode at one time. It had cracked and peeling yellow paint on wooden paneling that made up the outside walls and a ruined shingle roof.

"Random house just _sitting_ out here," Usagi thought.

Usagi knew all about curiosity killing the cat. Had this been anyone else, they might have both remembered _and_ followed that advice. But this was Usagi. She limped over towards it. She slowly and clumsily climbed up the front porch steps and inside. The house had obviously been abandoned for a very long time. The inside had degraded even worse than the outside. Before her was a messy, dark hall that led into a living room area. In the hall were two doors on the right, and one of the left. Usagi started forward.

She tried a light switch, though she knew it wouldn't work. So when it inexplicably did, she jumped in surprise. She went in and found pretty much what she was expecting: a creepy, empty old house that'd been abandoned here for quite some time. How it got here was still a mystery to her, and one she didn't really expect to have solved. She explored the first level, but ultimately found nothing of use or of enlightenment. So she made for the stairwell. The climb was difficult and tiring in her state.

Usagi hunched over and breathed out heavily. Made it. She'd scaled the stairwell to the second floor at last. There had been nothing of note downstairs, just the ruined interior of a long abandoned house.

"Geez, I hate this," Usagi wheezed.

She leaned against the wall just to her right and flipped another light switch. The upstairs hall was bathed in light. She looked across from herself. There was a room with a several full bookshelves and a writing desk with a many pieces of paper scattered across its surface, as well as what looked like a journal.

She stood and walked over to it. She grabbed a random piece of paper and read it:

"_Who are you, my dear friend, to reach someone like me? I look forward to our reunion in Hell. Otherwise, I fear my warnings have fallen on deaf ears. The sight of his black eyes, his markings, this face not human, now has claimed another one of us. I'm sorry I was too late. – Linnie."_

She looked at the journal on the table and read its title: _The Case Files of Dr. James Corenthal. _Then she grabbed another letter:

_"Dearest Linnie,_

_I have prayed for you. He spoke your name."_

So that was the letter this 'Linnie' was replying to in the other one. Usagi was trembling now. She felt for this Linnie and the other person, she really did. Just what was going through their heads while they fought to survive against these odds?

"But that still doesn't explain why I'm sitting in a house that's obviously from Earth," she said.

Usagi grabbed both letters and stuck them in the journal, fully intending to take them with her. At least she could take these back with her if she ever got out of here. At least someone would remember _Linnie_ then. She looked out a back window into the open plain she guessed could have constituted for a back yard. There was a simple wooden cross in the middle of it. It must belong to whoever Linnie's companion was.

Crash! She shook with panic when she heard something that sounded like glass or pottery shatter in another room.

"wwwWwaaArRrrIoorrR," she heard The Rake call.

She pulled out her hilt from her skirt pocket and situated herself behind the writing desk. She could hear its claws clicking on the floorboards as it rounded the corner into view. It bore a hideous grin on its face as it stood in the doorway, knowing it had her cornered.

She transformed again. She only brought out one blade and held level in front.

"Alright, beasty, it's time…whoa!"

She tried to raise her weapon into the air, but found she couldn't lift it. Try as she might, she didn't have the strength to do anything but hold her double-bladed sword. In a single bound, The Rake jumped onto the desk. Then it rushed forward ramming her. The force knocked her out the window and she fell first onto and then through the rotting roof. She crashed into the wooden plank floor of the first level flat on her back. The journal landed next to her. She let out a tiny squeak in pain as she laid there. Her head was swimming in pain and her vision was a red-tinted haze.

Through her stunned state she could hear it coming down the stairs. She raised her head and tried to shake the dizziness off. A shadow fell over her. It smiled evilly down at the fallen warrioress. It climbed on top of her, using its body to pin her arms at her sides. It held her head in one clawed hand and raised the other. She tried to fight back but it was too strong. It removed her mask and tossed it aside. Then it laid its claws against her forehead. Its muscles tensed to rake them down across her face.

"Not so fast, evil one!" Rei shouted from the staircase.

The Rake spun about-face in surprise. How did this girl enter this domain without its noticing? It growled when Grandpa, Kratos, and Rusila also stepped down into sight.

No matter, it thought. It would just send them away like the others. It raised both clawed hands about to do just that. Usagi gritted her teeth and threw herself up into a sitting position. She pulled back a metal-gauntleted fist and punched The Rake square in the face. The blow only made it flinch, but that was enough to make it roar angrily.

"Begone, evil spirit!" Rei and Grandpa yelled.

They dashed at the creature, each holding a piece of paper between of each finger. They threw the wards and charms through the air, and all twenty pieces ignited into pure white light. The Rake screamed as a cleansing aura filled the room. It felt as if it were been thrown into a bathtub of razor blades. Usagi groaned in pain. She clutched her hurt shoulder. It felt like it was being seared with a fire.

"Gotta move," she thought.

When she tried to get up she found her could, much to her delight and surprise.

"That aura must be getting that curse out of my body," she realized.

She grabbed her mask and scrambled away from her tormenter over to the Hinos. Her head was bowed low. As best she could, he put her mask back on before looking at the raven. She stopped and stared slack-jawed at the other girl.

"This girl is so pretty," her mind dreamily registered.

"What are you looking at?" Rei demanded with annoyance.

She leaned away from the blonde staring in reverie at her. She looked past the weird, armored girl and spotted The Rake forcing its way over to them. It was coming right up behind the masked girl in front of her.

"Look out!" she cried.

She grabbed Usagi and pulled her out of the way. This also brought her back to reality.

"Huh? What? What happened?" Moon blinked.

She saw Kratos and Rusila leap past them at The Rake. Kratos charged forward, shield first and bashed the beast with it. He stepped aside and let Rusila strike it across the head with her mace. The force spun The Rake around and she raised her weapon, only to bring it down on its back, slamming it into the floor. Then they backed away until they stood on either side of the girls.

"What do we do?" Moon asked frightfully. "If we kill it, it can just come back through someone else."

"We've got it covered," Rei replied confidently.

Moon turned and looked as the grinning raven head curiously.

"I just need someone to subdue it long enough for Grandpa and me to exorcize it proper," Rei said.

"Can do," Moon replied.

The Rake picked itself up off the floor. It heard the pounding of iron clad feet rushing at it and looked over just in time to see the warrior and those two Keepers coming at it with full speed. It brought both sets of claws around for an attack, but at the last minute, Moon jumped clear over it and its strike slashed at air. Kratos sliced down vertically with his sword, cleaving its right arm clean off. Rusila smashed down on its left with her mace, shattering the bones. An anguished howl pierced the air.

Moon landed in a crouched stance behind the wailing thing and stabbed upwards into its back, forcing up to stand perfectly upright. Rei and grandfather ran up close. The Rake struggled and tried to escape, but with its arms were severed or broken, it could do nothing but watch as the girl that made it burn placed another seal onto its chest, as did Grandpa. Now it was The Rake's turn to experience true hopeless fear as it knew what was about to occur. Like before, the beast burst into flame, and this time, also light. Moon dislodged her sword from its back and hopped back. She held her blades high, ready to throw them.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!" she shouted.

She threw it. Both blades shined as they spun through the air. The projectile cleaved The Rake in half again, this time at the waist. The light added fuel to the fire in burning the two halves, but did not turn to ash just yet. The blade returned to Moon. The Rake's world was now one of agony.

Rei and Grandpa brought out ten more wards and charms, each. While Rei's latched into its shrieking upper half, Grandpa's attached to its lower. They shouted their rites, and the spiritual powers piercing The Rake blazed anew. Moon again leaped through the air, and as she passed over the monster.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

The floorboards underneath the three pieces of the creature seemingly folded away and it fell through. The butterfly blades harmlessly tore up the floor. Moon landed and grabbed her weapon from the air.

"Damn, it got away!" Rei growled.

She stopped and concentrated.

"It's very weak, though. It won't be coming after us for a while," she said.

"Good," Kratos said.

He looked to Usagi.

"Warrior Moon, where are the others?"

* * *

When Luna awakened, she was lying next to a log. She looked around with alarm and sat up. She looked at her hands. They were fine, and she felt as if she were well and whole. She was no longer in the grove of pink leafed trees, though, but had been moved away from the bleeding tree into a separate part of the hedge maze. She leaned over the log, feeling very weary of the fact that she'd have to find her way back to that grove and try again. Had someone saved her?

She looked ahead at a two way split in the path, and then behind. Nothing here but an angel statue with its head bowed and its hands in a standard praying position. It was at the end of the long path somewhere behind her. Luna jumped to her and feet and began walking through the maze. It was then that she heard the sound of stone moving. She whipped around. Again there was nothing but the praying angel statue. It wasn't moving, but it was definitely closer than it had been before.

Luna blinked, and then shook with fear when her eyes reopened. The statue was closer still. It also wasn't praying anymore. Its hands were out-stretched towards her and its face was an expression of cold distain.

"Not even out of the frying pan yet, and I'm already gone into the fire," Luna muttered.

* * *

When Minako woke, she'd reverted to her civilian clothes, a B'z T-Shirt and a pair of jean shorts. Her transformation item, which looked like a pen, lied not far away. She picked it up and pocketed it. She took in her new environs, and did not like the look of it at all. She was in a cell. Cast-iron bars were before her and stone all around with straw padding the floor. She looked up at the ceiling. The outline of a trapdoor was in the center.

"I was already underground! Why would they need to go a level deeper? This place makes no sense," she thought.

She took a whiff of the air. It smelled like meat was cooking somewhere nearby. She walked over to the bars and looked out at the place of her incarceration. It was some kind of humungous kitchen. With piles of meat piled onto several tables, multitudes of butchery tools, and all manner of cooking ware. She heard someone moving around.

It was beyond where she could well, so she had to strain looking for the source, and when she found it she wished she didn't. Someone was lying on a table with two large hulking brutish figures that vaguely resembled human form stood over him or her. They had long, gorilla-like arms, large thick bodies, and trunk-like legs. They wore only kilts and bloodied aprons. Their heads looked like an unholy meshing of a human and a boar's features. One of them had a metal collar that more resembled a neck brace for some reason. They stood about seven feet tall.

"So Oinky and Bracer," she thought, coming up with nick names for them right on the spot.

She looked to see who was tied down to the slab and then gasped when one of them lifted the poor soul up and she could see whoever it was no longer had a head.

"MOON POWER, MAKE UP!"

Oinky and Bracer stopped what they were doing and turned to the cell just in time to see the door get blasted off its hinges and take flight across the chamber. Out walked Sailor V in all her glory. She assumed her usual pose.

"Code Name: Sailor V, the soldier of justice, the sailor suited pretty soldier… I am Sailor Venus! In the name of the moon, I will punish you," she announced loudly.

Both butchers threw their heads back and started laughing.

"Hey! Stop laughing! I'm like totally serious," Minako yelled pathetically.

"Right," Bracer laughed.

They each raised a huge knife-like weapon.

"Cor, maybe she tastes jus' as funny as she sounds," Oinky shouted.

"Oh, boy," Minako moaned.

They charged her, weaponry ready to kill. She dashed right back at them in return, keeping low. Bracer swung his blade down at her but she skipped to the side and it harmlessly clanged against the stone floor. Then she hopped on to his arms and threw her leg up with the foot drawn back to kick him.

"V Kick," she shouted and let the stunned hulk have it right in the mouth.

The blow knocked out three of his teeth. He stumbled back while she grabbed his shoulder, and then flipped herself around onto his back. He dropped his weapon and covered his mouth in both hands howling dreadfully. She braced her feet against him crouching down as he leaned down.

Oinky whipped his own blade across just over his partner's head and back to cut off Minako's legs. She flipped over the strike high into the air. She came down on Oinky's chest and bounced off. He fell against a table causing it to tip over before falling over himself. Minako landed directly behind Bracer.

Bracer turned partway and slashed at her. She flipped away the slice. She decided she needed to put some distance between them now, so she sprinted away between two rows of tables with Bracer hot on her heels. She could hear his oversized knife cutting the air or ringing against the ground right behind her.

Running between the tables, she could see they were proportionate to the butchers along with everything else in the room, with the tops somewhere between four-five feet high. With her good running start, she nimbly lifted herself onto one with an unoccupied top. In the few seconds she had before Bracer would be close to take another shot at her, she aimed her compact.

"Crescent Beam," she shouted.

The blast hit Bracer, boring a hole right through him that expanded and consumed him into nothingness! Oinky stopped right where he was, seeing what happened to his partner. He looked at V, who was poised to blast him, too. He dropped his weapon and ran for it. He went through the first door he could get to and disappeared from view. She was certain he would return with backup, so she was quick in fleeing the room through another door, which she closed behind her.

* * *

"Give us your light, mister!" the Children demanded.

They pounded on the door and windows of the shed Phantom Mask had barricaded himself in. The walls shook as the children beat and pulled at it from the outside. The wood wobbled on its hinges. Phantom Mask was down on one knee in the middle with his head bowed. He remained calm. It was only a matter of time before they found their way inside, but he would be ready for them.

* * *

"And that's it. I have _no_ idea where anyone else went," Moon finished.

"So The Rake is one of the lords of The Land of Black Leaves," Kratos said. "That explains a lot."

"You really never knew this before?" Moon asked with disbelief.

"No one's ever beaten him before he could slip away before. Or if they did, it was an isolated incident and it just killed all the witnesses after it came back," Rusila exposited. "As I said before, your appearance has changed _everything_, Warrior Moon."

"Okay, I get that. So how did you guys get here," Moon asked.

"We came down the same hole you did," Rusila replied. "It brought us to this house."

The Rake must have changed where the tunnel went after closing them in before, Moon realized.

"So how do we find these other persons that were lost in this place," Grandpa asked.

"That will not be a problem," Kratos replied.

"How do you figure that?" Moon asked skeptically.

"We've known for a long time that reality in The Land of the Black Leaves is subject to the strongest beings inhabiting it, and not just beasts such as him. In old times, the Celestial Warriors were able to bend this place to their will as well as any monster."

Kratos then buried his face in one hand, looking disgusted with himself.

"We should have known better than to come here."

"Too late now," Rusila said. "Alright, give it a try, warrior."

"Be realistic," Kratos responded. "The girl has no experience with meditation and has just barely tapped in her true potential. Moving reality and dimension was difficult even for the original warriors."

"And she never will if she doesn't try," Rusila replied.

Kratos just 'tch'ed' and looked away.

"I don't think I could do that now even if I tried," Moon reluctantly admitted.

Then she looked over at Rei.

"What about her?" Moon asked. "You're a miko. Meditation is your thing, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I've never done anything like punching holes in reality. Would I be able to?" Rei asked.

"You just might," Kratos said thoughtfully.

Rei shrugged and walked up to Moon.

"Sure, why not try. It's pretty clear you're not that great as being celestial or a warrior, anyway" she said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean," Moon demanded angrily.

"I think it was pretty obvious," Rei said stuffily.

"Enough. We need you two to cooperate," Kratos shouted.

"Meany! Let's just do this, already," Moon pouted.

Moon and Rei stood side by side, each holding onto the double-sword. Moon concentrated and released a bit of her power for Rei to try to sync with. She thought it'd be hard, but it was the most natural thing in the world for Moon to able to control the celestial powers within her. The warrior's entire body glowed silver. Rei's body began to shimmer red ever so slightly as her psychic influence felt for the celestial powers. Rusila and Kratos watched Rei begin to shimmer similarly to Moon with interest.

"Now that's interesting," Rusila said.

"Indeed," Kratos added.

"I can feel it," Rei exclaimed in amazement.

The two girls released their energies towards one another through the sword, and the two auras seemed to just lead at the middle at the hilt without meshing at all. Much to Rei's surprise, this warrior's own life energy felt a lot like hers' if as two rivers were meeting. Then it clicked, and a bright white light shimmered at the edges and then overtook both girls. Their energies were now as one.

"Our spirits…flow together…like they were meant to be able to do this," Rei uttered completely dumbfounded.

Rei closed her eyes and concentrated on getting a beat on the world around her. From the way these "officers" talked, it sounded like reality in this netherworld was almost physical. That was her only lead, and if that were the case, then her supernatural strengths should be able to sense it. In her mind she saw this warrior's power swirling against a black covering, like a blanket. There! She had it!

"I think I can help you aim your stroke. Take a slice at the air," Rei instructed. "And concentrate of these other people you came in with."

"Right," Moon confirmed.

"Show me my friends," Moon thought.

Usagi and Rei raised one of the blades up and cut downwards. The blade hit something that couldn't be seen and they ripped open a tear in reality and opened into black nothingness. They held the blade at the base of the hole.

"Why aren't we seeing anybody?" Moon asked.

"Let's try it one at the time, then," Rei said. "Concentrate on that one of these people."

"But what about the others?"

"We'll get them after," Rei assured.

"…Okay," Moon replied.

"Alright. Luna!" Usagi focused.

A black hedge became visible through the portal from the girls' perspectives. Kratos, Rusila, and Grandpa stepped in behind them to get a look. Luna darted past.

"LUNA," they shouted.

Luna doubled back and stared into the room, looking frazzled. Without having to be told, she hopped through past the two girls.

"I didn't think you'd be able to do that yet," she said to Moon. "Thank you, warrior and…"

She paused, looking at the unfamiliar miko.

"Hi, I'm Rei!"

"My, my, aren't you a lovely lady? Would you like to come work at my shrine?"

"Uh…" Luna looked to Kratos and Rusila oddly while Grandpa kissed her hand.

"Luna, meet the exorcist Artemis recommended," Rusila said, smirking.

"Grandpa, stop molesting the poor woman," Rei shouted red-faced.

"Guys, what's that?" Moon asked, fear creeping into her voice.

Everyone turned to the portal. The Praying Angel stared into the room mere feet from them. Luna cursed.

"Think of someone else, quick," Rei ordered.

"Phantom Mask!" Moon cried.

The statue disappeared. It was replaced with a scene of darkness. They beheld Small figures tearing open the door of a small shack. They were about to go in when a larger form burst out and leaped over their heads dashing towards the portal. They were never a pace or behind him.

"Think of the last person as soon as he's through," Rei instructed hastily.

"Got it," Moon replied.

No sooner had Mask dived through the portal did the visage change again. He stood and brushed himself off.

"Did you get it?" he asked.

"Eh?!" Usagi demanded.

"Did. You. Get. IT," he demanded.

"Fine way to thank me, and…no. It got away," she started in a huff, but then went timid.

Phantom Mask looked unsurprised.

"After what it just pulled," Mask sighed. "I can't say I wasn't expecting that."

"There's Sailor V!" Luna shouted.

They could see her sneaking through some kind of cavern or cellar. It wasn't clear.

"V," Rusila called.

"Hurry, we're almost…out of…" Rei hissed, tiredly.

The girl jumped, and then when she spotted the jagged gap, and she came closer keeping very quiet. Then she jumped on through. Usagi and Rei pulled back the blade and the fissure closed. They slumped down fatigued. Usagi slumped over and grabbed the journal while she was bent over.

"Thanks, but how'd you do that," V asked.

"We can talk about it later. For now, we have to get out of here," Luna insisted.

"Oh, hi, who're you?" V asked Rei and Grandpa.

"Rei Hino, shrine maiden," Rei introduced herself.

"Hibiki Hino, priest and exorcist," Grandpa added.

He took V's hand in his own and kissed it.

"Say there, you're a cute girl…"

"GRANDPA!"

"So you're the people "Ishida" called," Mask said.

"That's us," Hibiki smiled.

Rei turned from her grandfather in a huff and instead looked around from Kratos, to Rusila, Luna, Warrior Moon, Sailor V, and finally Phantom Mask.

"Just what kind of club of weirdos is this, anyway?" she demanded.

* * *

"I'm telling you, you can't go down there," Artemis told Sakurada and the other officers.

"And why not?" Sakurada retorted. "You've already sent a whole mob through there, to wherever that thing came from."

"It's being taken care of, and by your poster girl, Sailor V," Artemis argued.

"They haven't come back yet," Sakurada argued. "I've had it with just twiddling my thumbs out here. Now give me a reason to believe it's honestly truly dead this time, and it hasn't killed everyone you've sent through that hole and my men will remain out here!"

The SAT team stood by ready to venture into the crawlspace.

"…Damn it," Artemis swore, realizing he had no guarantees that she'd buy.

Jocelyn bowed her head, realizing that they weren't going to be listened to this time. Sakurada tapped her foot impatiently waiting for the duo to explain.

"Captain Kurosaki, you and your men have my permission," she said at last.

"Alright, men, the target is extremely violently and very dangerous. Be careful, and don't separate," the captain said.

"No need for that," Luna called from within the passage.

"Oh, God, Luna!" Artemis cried, relieved.

Luna stepped out and grinned guiltily.

"Yeah, sorry to took so long, Ar… Ishida, but that bugger was a stubborn one. He won't be bothering Japan again, I can assure you of that. Isn't that right, Warrior Moon?"

Moon came out after Sailor V.

"Huh, oh…oh, yeah! Monster's dead, heehee," she said.

"Who's that?" Sakurada demanded.

"She's with me. Meet Celestial Warrior Moon," Sailor V replied.

"A new partner?," Sakurada asked.

"Sort of," Moon said awkwardly.

"Sailor V," Sakurada said.

She gestured for V to come aside to speak privately.

"Mina, can this new girl be trusted?" Sakurada whispered.

"Yes, she's the one who actually killed this thing once before," Mina answered.

"Is it really dead?"

"No, but we hurt it real bad, and we're cutting off its access to this world right now," Mina replied.

"Mrs Hino and Rei, please seal that Connection," Luna instructed.

Sakurada came back from her talk with Minako with a skeptical look.

"Seriously? It was bad enough that you called for an exorcist. That's a hole that was dug into the wall," Sakurada exclaimed. "You can't just make a…hole…disa…"

"Evil spirits disperse," Rei and Granpda chanted.

The Connection disappeared. Now only solid wall remained. Sakurada crouched down and felt where it had been.

"I give up. Logic and reason have fled the country," she said, still looking at where the hole had been. "But you still have some questions to answer, Inspector Takahashi…hey!"

Usagi, Luna. Artemis, Minako, and Jocelyn were already leaving the morgue.

"You, keep an eye on things," she ordered an officer.

She went after them down the hall.

"Now hold on! Explain to me in full what happened in that other place!"

Moon looked at Luna uncertainly.

"Another time, Superintendent, another time," Luna replied.

Luna and Artemis pushed up the glass double doors letting the masked girls out, but Sakurada dashed past them and blocked their way.

"I just want answers," Sakurada said firmly. "It's my job to protect the people, and I can't do that without knowing what happened back there."

"You'll have it, but not now," Luna replied.

"And why not?"

"Because tomorrow's a school day and I have to get this one home to bed on time," Luna gestured at Moon. "Look, the sun's setting!"

Sakurada did look and rolled her eyes. She threw up her hands, then stormed away.

"Fine. Do what you want. It's not like I can file an 'eyeless man beast' on a report, anyway," Sakurada said and went back inside.

"She's just under a lot of stress," Sailor V said sympathetically.

"Thanks to us at any rate," Artemis added.

"Sailor V," Moon muttered.

She grinned.

"Man, I have a friend who would SOOO jealous if she knew I got to hang with you. Wanna team up?"

"Sure, I'd love to," V replied.

"I think you're forgetting something," Artemis said.

"I am? I forgot what?" V asked.

He leaned in close and whispered.

"You still have a few things you need to do as Sailor V still. Don't forget, The Dark Agency is still active and we don't even know who's running the show yet."

"Aw, alright. Sorry, Warrior Moon, but I've got another mission I have to finish first before I can help you with yours'," she agreed reluctantly. "But seeya later, 'kay?"

"Bye," Moon waved.

Then she remembered.

"Oh, wait, Inspector Ishida," she called.

"Hmm?"

"Here," Usagi said, stuffing the journal of Dr. Coranthal into his arms.

"What's this?"

"Just something other victims of The Rake left behind. Make sure you take good care of it, Keeper."

"You have my word."

"Thank you ," Moon chirped.

"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Luna asked Artemis.

She looked at his injuries with worry.

"I can come by your place after I've dropped Warrior Moon off," she offered.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine. That girl will need you more than I will after what I think happened down there," he replied.

He smiled reassuringly. Luna and Usagi hopped onto her bike and were off. Usagi retracted the blades before it got going too fast. She waited to revert back to her normal form once they were out of sight of the police.

"Usagi, forgive me," Luna said solemnly.

"What are you talking about?"

"It was a mistake to go after it. I almost got us all killed. I'm so, so sorry," Luna spoke, her voice straining from holding back a lot of emotion.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Usagi laughed. "We all got out alive, and you didn't know what you were dealing with, so…"

"That's exactly why I shouldn't have rushed in, Usagi," Luna muttered.

They drove in silence for a long time. Once they were halfway home, Usagi spoke up again.

"Hey, Luna, I don't know if I want to do this Warrior Moon thing on a regular basis," she said.

"I can understand, but you have to," Luna replied plainly.

"Yeah, but, I don't know if I'm brave enough to help out total strangers every time something bad happens," Usagi said.

"And if you don't deal with the problem, it'll only become worse and it _will_ effect someone you love eventually," Luna said back. "I'm sorry, Usagi, but this moment in history has long been prepared for. The only thing you can do about it is live your life as best you can despite this burden that's been placed upon you."

"By _you_," Usagi said unhappily.

"And if I hadn't, The Rake would have…"

"I _know_!" Usagi interrupted. "That doesn't mean I'm happy with this!"

Luna said nothing. If she could, she'd take the burden from Usagi and do it all herself, but the power of the Celestial Warrior of the Moon didn't pick her.

"Hey, can you stop a block or two from my house and I'll just walk the rest of the way. It'd be hard to explain why I was dropped off so late by an adult woman stranger. Dad's paranoid about me getting "corrupted" enough as it is, I'd rather just avoid another ordeal," she said.

Luna laughed heartily at that. She glanced back at Usagi with a heartening smile.

"Alright, just make sure you let me in the window again, please," Luna said.

"Yea, sure," Usagi replied.

Luna chuckled again. True to her word, she let Usagi off a bit away from her house. When the girl came to the door, it suddenly burst open. There her mother stood, looking very angry.

"Where were you all day," she demanded.

"Ah! Sorry, I stopped off at the hospital to see my friends and I guess I just overstayed!"

Ikuko's expression softened and she sighed.

"Alright, sorry for getting angry. Just make sure you do your homework. What's left of dinner is in the microwave. You can reheat it when you get hungry. Don't be late to bed. It's already 8 O'Clock, for Pete's sake, Usagi."

"Alright, alright, mom. Got it."

"Good, off with you now."

Usagi slugged up the stairs to her room.

"Oh yeah, before I forget to tell you," Ikuko added. "We got a call from Temple University this afternoon. We have a student coming over tomorrow to check out that spare room we offered to rent out. Her name's Megumi Higurashi. When you come home tomorrow, I want you on your best behavior. I almost didn't think we were going to get a tenant. Their classes start next week. Talk about last minute good luck!"

"Oh, great," Usagi muttered.

She entered her bedroom. On cue, Luna appeared at her window. Usagi let her in.

"Thank you."

"Yeah."

Usagi flopped down on her bed facedown.

"Usagi?"

Luna hopped up onto the bed next to her.

"I'm tired. Wanna sleep. Talk tomorrow."

"…Sorry," Luna said.

She sat at the end of Usagi's bed deep in thought.

"Tomorrow begins her real training. Mistakes like I made today won't be repeated. Forgive me for putting you through this today, Usagi. I'm sorry. I really am," Luna said.

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the depths of the Dark Kingdom…

"Well, it looks like the Warrior and her companions can match The Rake even deep within The Land of Black Leaves," Jadeite observed.

"Indeed. Even Sailor V was only able to break even with it in a fight," Nephrite replied without looking up from his work.

"It looks like we'll have to change our approach altogether," Jadeite muttered.

Nephrite turned from his astrology equipment holding a piece of paper he'd just finished writing on. He held it out to Jadeite.

"I believe these individuals should be a sufficient number of victims for you to take the life energies from," he said.

Jadeite accepted it and looked it over.

"There are only ten people on this. We need a huge magnitude of human energy lacking the crystal, Nephrite."

"I know, and the people on this list will be enough if you time it right. You'll never get anywhere just taking energy from anybody that's convenient. For one thing, that'd make you traceable," Nephrite explained.

"Fair point, but how can ten people produce enough energy by 'timing it right'?"

"Simple. The stars know everything, and all humans are controlled by their movements. Each and every one of them has their own fate. The same is true of their energies. Each human has a moment in their life when their energy peaks. Thus, I have read the stars and selected individuals whose energy levels will be at their highest very soon. You will find the time and date they will each reach those points next to their names on that list. If we begin now, we can even further enrich their energy far beyond what it would have reached naturally with the use of your magic."

Jadeite looked at the paper he held and then back at Nephrite.

"I suppose I could enchant an item they commonly use to augment it. You're absolutely certain of this?"

"Absolutely."

Jadiete still looked doubtful.

"How long would I have to drain their energy while it's at a peak?"

"A half-hour, starting from the instant the clock corresponds with the times I've written down."

Jadeite scratched the back of his head, thinking.

"Well, a half-hour would be long enough, but I'd need that entire period to do my work undisturbed if we're going to go about it this way."

"Ah, so you need a distraction," Zoicite said.

Jadeite and Nephrite looked up to their hovering companion who had just made his arrival.

"If you could be so kind, yes, I'd much appreciate that," Jedeite said. "5 PM, Central Time Zone."

"So be it," Zoicite smirked. "Tomorrow, the eyes of Celestial Warrior Moon and The Keepers will be drawn anywhere and everywhere but the prize."

"So how do you intend to distract them?" Nephrite asked.

"Ah, ah, ah mums of word. That'd be ruining the surprise if I just told you," Zoicite said while holding a finger to his lips. "Well, I have some preparations to attend to, then. Toodaloo, boys!"

With that, Zoicite faded out again.

"Why am I suddenly very, _very _afraid," Jadeite asked.

**A/N:** The chapters won't be as unwieldy to read after this.

Credit for the _Lightless City_ goes to creepypasta author, KI Simpson. However, I took a bit of artistic license with it. What happens in the original is that you lose an eye to one of the Children as the price to talk to the Tall Man. When you talk to the Tall Man, he'll blind that _someone you hate_. Then if that still doesn't satisfy your hate, another child walks up to you and takes your other eye. Then the Tall Man will come back and ask if you want the _same someone you hate that you just had blinded_ also killed. Say yes, and that _someone you hate_ dies. Then you end up as one of the eyeless Children wandering the streets forever until some other sap comes along with an eye for you to take. The 'pasta doesn't show what happens if you refuse to have any form of revenge taken against someone, so I decided that the Tall Man and the Children can't comprehend that and will make you pay, anyway.

Credit for the _bleeding tree_ creepypasta goes to Zerosage. The hedge maze was mine, though.

The whole thing with the dungeon and the big pig-men are my own creation. Mostly, monsters from The Land of Black Leaves will be 'pasta beasts, but there's more than one source of beasties in _Celestial Warrior Moon_, so not everything Usagi and co will face actually hails from there.

Linnie, the person that wrote a letter to Linnie, and Dr. Corenthal are all open source characters from Rake-related creepypasta. Or in the case of Dr. Corenthal, he's also an open source character from Slender Man-related creepypasta as well.


	7. Chapter 6: Bejeweled

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Drew L: That was the general idea. Thank you. I'm considering whether or not to cameo any Outer Senshi. I haven't come to a decision yet, but you'll them if I put them in.

TsukiyoTenshi: Heheh, that was the intended reaction. Yeah, there's still a whole lot of room for everything to go south.

LoveInTheBattlefield: I plan to! :D

**Chapter 6**

**Bejeweled**

"Are you leaving for school yet, Naru," a voice called from the kitchen.

"Huh? …Oh, yes," Naru replied dumbly.

Her aunt Miku came into the living room of her apartment to see her niece off. Naru had just finished tying her shoes. Miku looked much like Naru's mother, but younger.

"Well, have a good day," Miku said pleasantly.

Naru gave a little nod without really looking at her. She opened the door to leave.

"Naru."

"Yes, Aunt Miku."

"Are you going to go see your mom again after school?"

"Oh yeah. I don't want her to be left alone there all day, Auntie."

Miku gave her niece a long worried stare.

"Are you sure you're up for school today? You could just take it easy in front of the TV."

"I guess I am," Naru said quietly, hardly more than a whisper.

"You guess? Are you?"

"I'm sure, Aunt Miku," Naru replied.

Miku sighed at her niece.

"Well, take it easy."

"I will. Oh, and thanks for taking care of the shop while mom's away, but are you sure it isn't too much trouble? Don't you have your own job?"

"Yeah, but I'm taking a few days off. That old store means a lot to me. Mom started Osaka Jewelry before it belonged to sis."

"I see. Sorry," Naru said sincerely. "Thank you, Aunt Miku."

"Think nothing of it. I just don't want it to go under," Miku replied.

"Me neither. See you later, Aunt Miku."

"Have a good day, Naru. If you can't handle it just come back to the apartment and rest, please."

"Okay, by-by."

"Bye."

When Naru left, Miku stood there by the day debating if it was a good idea to let her go back to school yet. Naru paused for a brief second and let out a big sigh. She herself wasn't sure she was up to facing school yet, but she thought it better than just sitting around moping all day. It was strange. Ever since the incident everything just seemed so unreal, and she just hadn't been sleeping well.

"What am I even doing," she thought.

She walked over to the elevator and pushed the 'Down' bottom and waited for it to come.

* * *

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK," a shriek emitted from the Tsukino residence.

Usagi shot down the street into the distance. Kenji leaned out the open kitchen window.

"Say what you will about her morning routine, she at least she gets a good morning exercise out of it," he said.

Meanwhile, in her bedroom, a pile of blankets and sheets squirmed and a muffled voice shouted:

"Ack! Usagi, help me! You trapped me in your bed cloths! Wait, did you leave already? I have something very important to tell you!"

Later…

"Ms. Tsukino, you're late for class again," Haruna shouted. "Go stand out in the hall!"

"Oh, this sucks," Usagi pouted.

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Miku called after a man she'd just sold an engagement ring to.

"Open only fifteen minutes and that was my fifth sale so far. I must still have the hang of this," she said happily. "Whoop. Looks like the necklace display can use some restocking."

She went into the back looked for them as quick as she could.

"Let's see. Necklaces, necklaces, necklaces…ah, necklaces," she whispered.

She picked up the cardboard box containing the desired goods. When she turned to go back to the front, she was suddenly faced with a strange man maybe a foot away from her. She dropped the box and opened her mouth to scream for help, but he was quick and covered her mouth in a grip so tight it hurt. She struggled against him, kicking and punching at him, though it did her no good. She managed to twist herself around to try to run away, but he never lost grip of her. He wrapped his free hand around her midsection, keeping her arms pinned at her side. He shoved into her a wall holding her there with his weight. He laughed at her futile attempts to struggle, smiling cruelly all the time.

"Are you afraid, woman? Good. You should be."

By now, tears were streaming down Miku's face. What did this man want with her?

"Be still," he hissed.

He began muttering something in a dialect she couldn't distinguish. Her face went blank and comprehension left her eyes as she became entranced. He took his hand away from her mouth and backed away.

"Turn around. Good. You are in the power of Zoicite of the Four Heavenly Kings. Take this."

He held out what looked like a normal handheld price tag scanner. She gripped it in hand.

"Good girl. Now use that to scan every item you sell. It will enchant your stock to suck the energy right out of those people and it collect in the scanner. I will return this evening for it. You will not consciously remember anything I've just said to you when I snap my fingers," he instructed.

Zoicite retrieved the box she dropped and handed it to her. Then he moved away from her line of vision and he snapped his fingers. She blinked and he vanished.

"Now why am I just standing here…? Was I…crying just now? Oh, right necklaces."

She hurried back to the front.

"Sorry, everyone, I just had to go into the back real quick. Can I help anyone? Oh yes, lovely choice, ma'am. I'll just scan this…"

"CSSSHHH," static from the stereo speaker behind the counter suddenly crackled when she used the scanner. She glanced at it giving the thing a peculiar look, but the device had returned to playing the usual low, orchestral music.

"That's strange. Why'd it do that," Miku wondered.

She scanned another item, provoking more static.

* * *

"Well, at least that's over," Usagi whispered dully.

She was so glad Ms. Haruna had let her back in before class was over. Usagi glanced over at Naru who just looked exhausted and troubled. Her eyes were far off, but nowhere good. Usagi became very worried for her friend.

"I'm going to have to try to cheer her up. I'll find out what she's up to after school," she decided.

After class ended, Usagi tried to catch up with her friend, but she was stopped by Ami.

"Um, excuse me, Usagi."

"Oh, hi," Usagi replied back enthusiastically.

The blue head didn't meet her gaze at first. When she did speak, it sounded like it was taking a lot to muster up the words.

"Usagi…I…uh…I'm sorry I was so distant yesterday. I just couldn't face anyone. Uh, want to hang out again sometime?"

"Sure, why don't you come with me to hang with Naru later?"

"Not today, I have cram school, but I'm free on Sunday. Do you think you could make it then?"

"Sure thing! I wouldn't miss it! I'll see you then. Just go to the arcade around 1 and I'll find you there! Excuse me. I have to talk to Naru for a minute."

"Sure," Ami smiled, relieved.

She watched Usagi skip over to the brunette. She could scarcely believe that she hadn't lost her first friend despite how off-putting she must have been yesterday.

"Hey, Narrruuu," Usagi called.

The other girl didn't respond, instead opting to pick up her books almost robotically.

"Naru," Usagi said more loudly this time.

"Wha-Yeah, Usagi," Naru replied hazily.

"Hey, Naru," Umino shouted, coming out of nowhere.

Usagi jumped in surprise, but Naru just looked at him.

"Oh, hi, Umino."

"Is it true that you were really badly hurt by that leopard? How did you make it out, and…?"

Before Usagi could drive the nosy busy body away, he was already assaulting her with questions.

"Did you get a good look at it?"; "It is true that over fifteen people were died?"; more questions were piled at her rapidly.

"Hey, back off," Usagi ordered.

She grabbed Umino and turned him around to face her, giving him a good death glare, which shut him up immediately. When the school crybaby started throwing _those_ around, it was definitely time to just back off. Umino looked away from Usagi, at Naru.

She stood there looking very uncomfortable him.

"…and, huh…" Umino mumbled. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

"It's okay. I was…was just a little surprised. That's all," Naru said, making a forced smile.

"Excuse me," Naru added, and headed to their next class.

Usagi and Umino exchanged looks and followed after her, with Ami bringing up the rear. On their way down the hall to their next class, three struck up conversation trying to talk about anything other than _that night_ or what had just happened. Throughout it all, Naru was silent, looking out the windows.

"…and then the guy said, 'hey, that's not a drumstick, that's my leg'," Umino said.

"Ha," Usagi faked a laugh at the frankly confusing joke.

"I don't get it," Ami said.

"Neither do I," Usagi replied.

"Aw…" Umino said, disappointed.

"Maybe you get it, Naru," Usagi suggested.

Expectant eyes turned to her. Still she blankly stared ahead.

"Oh man. How did she get worse since yesterday," Usagi mind's worked frantically.

"So, have you been staying in that house by yourself," Usagi asked.

"No. I'm with Aunt Miku right now," Naru replied.

"Oh, good, she is hearing us," Usagi thought.

"So… Wanna do something later," Usagi then asked.

"Can't. Going to see mom at the hospital. Then I'm heading back to Aunt Miku's apartment," Naru said.

"Oh, where is it? Maybe I can come over later," Usagi suggested.

Naru smiled faintly, and opened her notebook to write down the address.

"I'll have to ask Auntie first. I'll stop off at the shop on my way home, 'kay," Naru said, handing the torn out page to her friend.

When they came to the classroom, Naru went right in while the trio remained out in the hall a while longer.

"She's definitely still coming out of the shock," Ami explained.

"But how? She was fine at the hospital. Shaken, but at least she was talking like Naru. I don't get it. We're fine, so how come it's just Naru that's so shaken," Usagi said desperately.

"It's worse for her," Ami pointed out. "It's her mother that was almost killed, it was her home that that thing attacked us in, and it was her neighbors that were all…ahem."

Ami decided how to finish that sentence.

"Anyway, it probably just hadn't sunk in totally yesterday," Ami concluded.

"So are you saying that we're handling it better because it wasn't _our_ homes that were broken into," Usagi asked.

"I know I'd still be out of it if I didn't think I was even safe at home anymore. I go gaming with the neighbor kid on weekends. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to him," Umino said.

She gave Naru another worried look.

"You have the right idea, Umino," Ami replied.

"How do you know so much about this," Usagi asked her.

"I read _a lot_," Ami replied simply.

After school, Usagi bid her friends goodbye for the day and headed home.

"See you later, Naru. Make sure you call me," Usagi said exuberantly.

"I will," Naru replied.

"Will you be okay coming to school tomorrow," Usagi asked uneasily.

"Oh yeah, if I could handle today, then tomorrow should be no problem," Naru said.

"Alright, see you in a bit," Usagi spoke. "Oh, bye, Ami. Good luck at cram school!"

"Thank you. Make sure you study tonight," Ami replied.

"Bleh," Usagi cried as she took off towards home.

* * *

"Thank you, and come again," Rei said to other teens that were leaving.

"We will, Ms. Hino," they giggled.

She smiled as they left.

"Now then, to get some meditation in," she said.

She headed back inside. Her crows came down and landed on her shoulders.

"Oh, Phobos, Deimos, did you guys miss me while I was busy," she asked, patting them both on the head.

Suddenly, they began cawing like crazy at something behind her.

"Hmm? What is it, girls," she asked.

She looked around just in time to see a young man come up the stairwell to the shrine. He wore a casual suit and sunglasses, and had long hair that was tied back in a ponytail. His features were so feminine that she almost mistook him for a woman. He took the glasses off and flashed a smile at her. The two crows took off again and circled overhead.

"Oh, hello, sir, welcome to Hikawa Shrine. How can I help you?"

"Thank you, Ms. Hino, or do I call you Rei. I'm Sigmund Zois. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh, you're the new apprentice, right? I'm very pleased to meet you," she greeted and gave a slight bow. "We're always happy to help anyone on their spiritual journey."

He returned the gesture.

"I'm very grateful," he replied.

"And Rei's fine, Mr. Zois."

"Siggie, please, it's what all my friends call me," Siggie answered.

"Okay, Siggie."

And through the pleasant formalities, Rei couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this man, however affable he seemed.

* * *

Usagi paused at a street corner that took her right past Osaka Jewelry, thinking about the last few days. While getting lost in her thoughts, she spotted a familiar face standing outside of the store looking in.

"Hey, isn't that that jerk from Game Crown," she thought.

Without even thinking about it, she was walking over to him as if drawn to him. Yep, it was him, Mamoru Chiba. He just stood there perfectly still staring intently at the shop dressed in a tuxedo and mirror shades. She tried to repress a laugh. He must have heard her, because gave her an annoyed sideways look.

"Oh, you," he said flatly. "Hello, Dumpling Head."

"It's Usagi! U-SA-GI! Get it right, Jerkface!"

"So what brings you here, Dumpling Head? Did you miss me?"

"What? Hell no! Uh, what's with the tux in the middle of the day, anyhow? You got a date or something? Ooh, is that it, Mamo? Shopping for your _girlfriend_?"

"Maybe," Mamoru replied, flirtingly.

He lowered the shades flashing a seductive look.

"Jealous," he asked. "Did you come here to confess to me, perhaps?"

"You are _so _full of it, like I'd ever date a snobby jerk like you in a thousand years," Usagi said huffily.

Despite herself, she found herself noting his handsome face, which made her face flush. She turned around quickly and left grumbling. He laughed quietly at her reaction, which made her turn even redder. She looked back at him and blew him a raspberry.

He turned back to the store.

"This place is loaded. If any place has it, it'll be here," he thought.

* * *

"I'm home," Usagi announced.

She pushed open the door.

"We're in here, Usagi," her mother called from the living.

"Oh, is that Usagi," she heard a woman's voice ask. It sounded familiar, but Usagi wasn't close enough to place it yet.

"Yes, it is," she heard her father say. "Come on in, Usagi, and meet Megumi."

"Coming, dad," Usagi replied.

She slipped off her shoes and headed over to them.

"Hi, I'm Usagi…and you must be…Meg…u…mi," Usagi trailed.

"Yep, that's me," Luna in human form replied smiling broadly. "And you must be Usagi! Pleased to meet you!"

There her family sat chatting with Luna, completely oblivious to the fact that she was charming her way into their home like a psycho in a horror movie.

"Yeah…" Usagi replied. "So you're the girl that's going to be staying with us?"

"Uh-huh. This house is lovely. I can already tell I'd love it here if you'll let me."

"So what are you studying at Temple," Usagi asked.

"Anthropology: the study of humankind."

"Hey, Megumi, what's it take to get into Temple University, anyway," Shingo asked.

"Lots of hard work 90 percent grades, bare minimum," Luna replied.

He looked over at Usagi with a mocking grin.

"Hey, I'll bet you can teach big sis a thing or two. She's always home with thi…"

"Hey, who asked you, ya little brat," Usagi yelled.

Luna giggled.

"Kids. Anyway, how about we show you the room she'll be staying in," Ikuko suggested.

"I'd like that," "Megumi" replied.

"Alright, then," Kenji said, getting up.

The Tsukinos went upstairs, followed by Luna. Usagi cast Luna a look that clearly expressed that Luna had explaining to do later. The cat girl nodded in response. Usagi turned to her brother.

"You were about to tell mom what my last test score was, weren't you," she accused.

He shrugged as he walked past.

"Oh hush, stupid Usagi. It's not my fault you're getting kicked out of the house. Man, of all the sisters in the universe, I get stuck with a real dummy."

"Grr! Shingo! You might be my little brother, but even so… SAILOR V KICK!"

Shingo dodged the blow meant his dumb and Usagi ended up kicked the wall. Pain shot through her toes and she hopped around on one foot clutching her hurt one tightly.

"Owie! Owie! Owie! Owie! Shingo! Ooh, is he going to hold that last failed test over my head forever?"

"What failed test," she heard her mother's voice ask behind her.

Usagi squeaked and jumped, but slowly and reluctantly turning to face the matriarch.

"Uh, well…" Usagi began.

A couple of minutes later, the door to Usagi's room burst open and its usual occupant was shoved inside hard enough that she fell onto her knees in front of her desk. Then her mother stepped up beside it and emptied the contents her daughter's book bag out onto it.

"In all the excitement in the last couple days I completely forgot about that last report card. Now, Usagi, **you **are going to **study **for the **rest of the night** or just don't **bother coming into the house anymore.** _**Understand?**_"

"Yes, mother," Usagi said in quietly.

"Good. Now study and study hard. I'll be watching you. If it isn't done by dinner: no seconds; no dessert," Ikuko said threateningly.

When she left she slammed the door in her wake, leaving Usagi alone.

"Sccccarrrrry," Usagi whined.

* * *

Naru entered Osaka Jewelry, pausing for a second upon getting a look inside. There was a man sitting on the counter and Miku was just letting him. The store was also filled with customers unlike she'd ever seen before, but something wasn't right. They were all perfectly quiet, standing still with their heads tilted to the side at unnatural angles, and just staring at whatever display they were in front of. Naru slowly walked past them, getting a very bad vibe off this.

"Auntie, I'm back. Is everything alright," Naru asked.

Her slow pace ceased altogether when she saw Miku's state up close, and she nearly screamed. Her aunt's face was empty of expression and her head tilted the same way as the customers.

"Auntie," Naru said loudly, but there was no reaction.

It was like Miku's mind was blank. There was nothing human left in those eyes, or in any eyes Naru looked into around the store. She glared at the man at the counter with suspicion and fear. He either hadn't noticed her yet, or was ignoring her. Instead, he seemed intent on fiddling around with the device he held. It looked like a price scanner.

"What have you done," Naru demanded trying to sound firm but her voice just came out as a frightening and shrill little sound.

He looked at her for the first time now with a smirk. The look alone was enough to make her take a step back. She turned to flee the store. A rather portly man locked the front door while other customers pulled the drapes down. Naru skidded to a stop, opting escape out the back. Unexpectedly, Miku suddenly sprang into action, intercepting her fleeing niece when she came around behind the counter. She grabbed her by the arms tightly enough that he fingernails punctured the skin.

"No! Let me go! Auntie, stop it! You're hurting me," Naru screamed.

Her pleas fell on ears that could no longer register them. She was dragged back towards the man. Miku twisted an arm behind Naru's back and gripped her hair, forcing her to look him in the face.

"Who are you? What have you done to my aunt," Naru's managed to yell through the sobs.

Around them, the other patrons closed in silently while he smiled wickedly.

"Naru Osaka," the man spoke at last. "No, you need not bother remembering my name, peasant."

He leaned in and took a good sniff of the girl, tilting his back as he did it.

"Oh, so full of life energy can I practically _taste_ it. That clever devil Jedeite, I could kiss that man if he was here now if my heart didn't belong to another. He selected a ripe one."

Naru stopped struggling as she listened to him.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Zoicite laughed aloud.

"Oh, yes, I had almost forgotten! The Keepers and their adorable little memory rewrites!"

He reached and touched his thumb to her forehead and his index and middle fingers on top of her head. Naru's began to thrash and kick around, knowing that he had nothing good planned for her.

"Now, now, little one, this is just a little reminder."

* * *

The numbers in her math homework might as well have been in a foreign language to Usagi for all the sense they made. There was a knock at her door.

"Come on," Usagi answered bored. "Luna. You have some explaining to do."

"I know," she replied.

She went in and made sure to close the door behind her.

"But I did try to tell you last night. You fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow. And again this morning, but you were in too much of a hurry."

"Oh, right, yeah. Oops," Usagi said, sheepishly. "Well, since you're living here, anyway, I guess it's alright. At least you'll be paying rent now. I'm still pissed you lied your way into my house, though."

"I'm sorry," Luna begged. "It's just that I think this arrangement will be better."

"Probably, but still… Eh, at least I won't be tiptoeing around to avoid looking like a loon for talking to a cat anymore."

Luna chuckled.

"Too true. So you're fine with this?"

"I guess…" Usagi replied uncertainly. "Just don't bring your war into my house, okay?"

"I promise. Oh yes, and I have something to show you."

Luna went over to Usagi's stereo.

"What're you doing?"

"This," Luna replied

She turned it on and switched it over to a station with Muzak playing.

"Here we go. This should do nicely."

Luna held out her hand flat. Energy conducted between her fingers. When she did, static buzzed loudly in the speakers.

"What'd you just do," Usagi asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just conjured some magic. That caused an electromagnetic pulse, a magnetic field fluctuating in abrupt bursts. Supernatural energy is one of many causes of it. As the result, anything supernatural will bring on the static in anything with a speaker or video."

"Oh, I got it," Usagi said happily. "Static in my radio or TV: bad."

"Precisely," Luna answered. "Well, sometimes. Either way, just be careful if it happens when there's no reason for it."

Luna then pulled a small box out of her pocket and handed it to Usagi. The blonde opened it. Inside were a small cordless phone, a pair of headphones with a speaker attached that could plug into it, and a charger.

"What's this?"

"A Cellular Phone, like the one I had yesterday."

Luna pulled her own out of her pocket.

"Oh yeah, that thingy," Usagi remembered. "So why are you giving this to me?"

"Go to _Contacts_."

"Eh, oh, I see! This has everyone who was at that meeting. You're here, too."

"You can call any of us in case of emergency, and vice versa."

"Gotcha," Usagi replied.

Both their cell phones began ringing. They exchanged a surprised look and answered.

"Hello," they spoke into the mouthpieces.

"This is Pious. There's trouble at Osaka Jewelry. Dispatch immediately. Pious out."

"Naru," Usagi cried.

* * *

Naru lie curled up in the corner clutching the sides of her head. The real memories of that night flooded back into her mind. She'd been left there doing just that for several minutes now. She hadn't the slightest clue why or how she could ever have forgotten something like that. Her tearful eyes turned back to Zoicite. This man had been wondering around the store looking at the inventory muttering while the empty patrons stood over her.

"Alas, it isn't here, either," he said.

"_What_…_are you_," Naru whispered to him.

He looked at her and began approaching.

"I am a remnant of a golden age, before humanity was the useless chaff it is now," Zoicite replied. "You people. So afraid of what lies in shadows that you forsake the world around you. Pathetic."

He reached down to drag her and take her away. She recoiled from his grip and tried to run, but the empty ones barred the way. Miku held her by an arm.

"Auntie, why are you doing this? What have you done to my aunt Miku?"

"Those drained of most of their life are so easy to control. I doubt there's anything left of your aunt at all, really," Zoicite said. "Now stop fussing. You'll be an honored guest in our court!"

Naru continued to struggle and flail around wildly, but they just wouldn't let go.

"I don't think she wants to go with you."

The empty ones began to fall all around Zoicite. He looked around surprised, but did not spot the interloper. He saw a flash of black dart between them once, but that was it.

"Slaves! Get them, whoever they are," he roared.

As one, the empty ones moved to find they who interrupted their master's fun.

* * *

"We have confirmation. Zoicite is controlling drained civilians to fight for him. I repeat, we have Zoicite controlling drained civilians," Luna and Usagi listened to Pious report through their headsets. "Phantom Mask is already engaging them."

They were riding Luna's bike to the scene and Usagi was already in warrior gear.

"Phantom Mask," Usagi asked. "Luna, I can't fight ordinary people like I usually do."

"Your weapon has a non-lethal mode. Try it," Luna replied.

Usagi took it off her belt and concentrated on invoking something other than her blades. From both ends came a wooden staff.

"Okay, I think I can work with this," she said.

* * *

"Looking for me?"

Zoicite spun around and just barely avoided getting smacked in the head by Mask's cane. He could hear its whoosh right past his face mere inches away.

"Ah, the infamous Phantom Mask," Zoicite identified him.

"The one and only," Mask replied.

They swarmed him, and he evaded them by way of either nimbly working his way through or by non-lethal takedown. He jabbed one in a pressure point in the middle of the torso, and he went unconscious. He threw another off his shoulders, and then ducked between the legs of another before having to jump over the back of another charged at him headfirst.

Two more grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to hold him, but he tripped up the one to his left and threw the one to his right over his shoulders two into others.

"Very good," Zoicite congratulated him. "Such self-control and skill to avoid killing them, unfortunately, that's also your weakness."

Zoicite held out an open hand where magical energy collecting as a green glowing ball in his palm. He could hear Mask growling at him upon realizing what he was about to do. He stopped all the victims still where they were.

"You don't have enough room to dodge this," Zoicite bragged.

He released it right into the fray. It'd take out some innocent, he was sure, but it didn't matter. He just wanted Mask good and angry, and ready to do something stupid.

In the few seconds he had before the orb hurt someone Mask surged forward through the tightly packed crowd with both hands gripping his cane. He swung at the orb like it was a baseball. The resulting blast sent him crashing into the crowd. His clothes were smoldering and all he had left of his cane was the handle. He tossed the useless object aside and picked himself up painfully. No one was fatally harmed, thankfully. He and his cane had taken the main brunt of it.

"Foolish boy," Zoicite commented. "Now you're wounded and have no weapon."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I have backup and a spare," Mask replied.

In from the back flew his hawk holding another cane. It dropped when it passed over him. He caught it.

"Impressive," Zoicite said though he sounded unimpressed.

He pocketed the scanner so he'd have both hands free to fight with. The hawk dived at him with its talons out. He swept his arm across in front sending a wave of energy which forced it retreat. He looked back to where Mask had just been, but he had disappeared into the crowd.

"Typical."

Mask sprang from the side with a horizontal strike. Zoicite barely had enough time to block with psychic energy. He grabbed the cane before Mask could withdraw it to try again. The two struggled to get possession of the weapon, but Mask wasn't out of maneuvers yet. Zoicite heard something in the cane click and suddenly Mask pulled the handle away revealing a blade it hidden inside it.

It slashed the palm and fingers of his left hand which had been partially gripping the handle, causing Zoicite to cry out. Before Zoicite could retaliate, he was tackled from the right and nearly knocked him over. Mask took advantage of the opening and struck him in the side of the head with the sheath. Zoicite slammed into the wall. It was Naru that had helped Mask. She'd broken free of her aunt's grip and grabbed the scanner.

"Rotten child," Zoicite roared.

Phantom Mask stepped in between them. Zoicite drew both hands to his side gathering power between them. The hawk and Mask tried to intervene, but it was an illusion. Naru gasped when it vanished as the hawk and cane passed through it. They heard him laughing at them overhead. They spotted their enemy floating in the air with a wave of powerful psychic energy ready.

"Farewell," he growled.

Mask threw himself over Naru. He heard Zoicite unleash it. He shut his eyes tightly and waited for the end, which never came. After a second, he dared a glance up and saw Zoicite still floating there with a surprised look on his face.

Someone had extinguished his death stroke before it could kill. Standing at the back door were Pious, Luna, and the celestial warrior. The former had been the ones to counter him. Luna released Usagi's hand.

"Thanks for the boost," she mumbled.

"No problem," Usagi replied.

Zoicite just looked annoyed at them.

"Took you long enough. Slaves, kill them _all,_" he bellowed.

They came to life again, this time with lethal intent.

"Oh, no! Naru," Usagi cried.

She leapt over the counter and began fight her way through the people in a desperate attempt to reach her friend. Naru's head whipped around at the mention of her name. How did that masked girl in armor know her? She sure did seem familiar. But Naru had no time to think about it, the empty ones shuffled closer with their arms out-stretched. Above, Zoicite summoned a sword which materialized in his hand. He swooped down at Mask and engaged him.

Now Naru was alone surrounded by the incoming arms that threatened to tear her apart. She squatted down with her hands covering her head, helplessly awaiting the end. She squeaked when something landed with a loud 'clank' next to her. Then someone grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

"No," she screamed and tried to struggle out of their grip.

"Hold still! And hold on tight," it was that masked girl.

"Huh," Naru muttered, confused, but complied.

The masked girl grabbed her tightly and launched into the air over the heads of the empty ones. Naru screamed. The world around her spun around before coming to an abrupt stop. The black haired woman took the scanner from her.

"Let me see that," Luna ordered and began fiddling with it.

"Hey," Naru exclaimed.

She tried to get loose from Usagi's grip to get it back.

"Moon, get her out of here!"

"Roger," Usagi complied. "Let's go!"

She picked up Naru bridle-style and carried her out the back despite her kicking and screaming.

"Luna, we should take this fight outside," Pious said.

"I couldn't agree more," Phantom Mask shouted.

He pushed through the empty ones, jumping over the counter to their side. They followed after Usagi and Naru out with the hawk coming in last. They were followed closely by Zoicite.

"Get back here," he ordered.

"No, stop! My aunt's still in there," Naru screamed. "The monster will kill her!"

"I won't let that happen," Usagi replied firmly.

They exited out the back into the alley behind.

"Why should I believe y-OOOOOOOOUUUUU," Naru started to yell right before Usagi jumped straight up onto the roof.

Mask stopped and faced Zoicite, meeting his attack with the cane and counterattacking with the blade. Zoicite floated back and then came in for another attack.

Pious stood by the back door and raised his arms, chanting. A force field shimmered in the dark. When the victims tried to exit through to get at them, they would be blocked.

"Luna, revert them to normal," Pious ordered.

"I'm trying," Luna replied.

She pressed the innumerable buttons on the device trying to get it to do _something_. She had sensed the human energy inside it the instant Usagi retrieved it along with her friend.

* * *

"You can trust me because I'm _Celestial Warrior Moon_, defender of justice and love," Usagi replied proudly.

Naru pushed away from her, giving her a good look. Usagi glanced over the side of the building. She was about to jump down to join the fray. She was stopped by Naru grabbing her hand.

"Who are you really," Naru asked distrustfully. "You're not normal, and maybe not even human! Are you really here to help or you just competition for them, whoever _they_ are, and just putting on a friendlier face? My mother, friends, neighbors, and I were all attacked by a monster two nights ago! Somehow I forgot! That man made me remember. How could I forget something like that? Tell me, are things like that just going to keep coming now? What I am supposed to do?"

Naru completely broke down, falling on her knees. Her sobs were uncontrollable. Usagi looked back down and back at Naru with tears of her own threatening to flow out. It broke her heart to see Naru like this. What could she do to bring her friend a little peace of mind? She bit her lip, her mind reeling to find an answer. She could only think of one thing. Luna wasn't going to like it, but oh well. She got down on one knee and reached out taking her friends hands away from her eyes. She wiped away her years.

"You want to know if you can trust me," Usagi said. "Is this reason enough?"

She pulled up her mask, revealing her face. Naru just sat there staring. She was so shocked she couldn't do anything.

"U-Usa-?"

"Yeah, it's me," Usagi replied, smiling warmly. "That's why you can trust me. I'm Usagi Tsukino, the Celestial Warrior of the Moon. This power awakened _that _night, for one very good reason: to protect everyone from monsters like that and _him_."

She looked over her shoulder, indicating she was speaking of Zoicite. She turned to Naru with a sympathetic look.

"Yes, Naru, more monsters are coming, and that's why I wear this and carry _this_."

To accentuate her point, she morphed her weapon back into its double-bladed form. Naru looked her over in wonderment.

"I'm the designated protector of this world from the forces of evil, and I promise you, Naru, I will always, always protect you and everyone else until the threat is gone. I want you to always remember that, even when things get scary. Now, there are some other people that need my help. I'll explain everything later, I promise, oh, and…"

Usagi held a finger to her lip and winked.

"This is our little secret, okay?"

Naru managed a little nod. Usagi smiled and pulled the mask back down. She back flipped off the building down into the alley. Naru crawled over to the edge and watched from above.

* * *

Zoicite stabbed at Mask, who blocked and countered. Zoicite jumped and came down with his sword slicing downwards. Mask dove to the side and narrowly avoided it. Zoicite vanished again.

"Behind you," Luna called.

Mask ducked down and to the side. Zoicite's sword cut his shoulder, but otherwise Mask had evaded the worse of it. Zoicite vanished again. Mask spotted him coming out of the corner of his eye and parried with his blade. Gone again. There! No, an illusion. That one, too. There!

Zoicite and Mask exchanged blows briefly. Mask disengaged and lunged in low with wielding both weapons for a nasty strike. Zoicite jumped back, but Mask unexpectedly dropped both weapons and landed on his hands. He somersaulted into his enemy. Zoicite grunted in pain when Mask's boots smashed into him, sending tumbling violently to the ground. Mask landed on his feet and retrieved his weapons for another round.

Zoicite flipped up to his feet, and charged Mask poised to inflict a real killing blow. He heard something coming from above. He looked up see the celestial warrior bearing down at him with one of her blades pointed straight down. He teleported away and she struck pavement. He reappeared right behind her with his blade poised to plunge right into her.

"Warrior, watch out," Mask shouted.

She brought the other blade up in a high guard, stopping the strike. She whipped the blades around, forcing him away. She turned partially towards him and threw her weapon like a spear. Zoicite levitated to the side. He wasn't quite quick enough and got nicked in the side. The blades returned to Usagi.

He teleported again, fading back in again at the end of the alley on the sidewalk. He beckoned for them to follow him and backed out into the middle of the street. Moon and Mask exchanged a look and gave a nod. A wordless understanding passed, and they quickly followed after him.

"You want to hurry with that, Luna," Pious asked. "I'm not the magic expert Jocelyn is."

He was under pressure keeping the field up containing the victims inside as they continued to crowd around pushing on the invisible obstruction at the door.

"You try figuring out a modified price scanner!"

"Well, what have you tried," Pious asked irritated.

"Everything!"

"Break it!"

"Eh?"

"Just try breaking it."

After a second, Luna threw it against the pavement as hard as she could. The threads of glowing life force burst out and surged back into the victims, restoring them. The victims stumbled around in a daze, slowing coming back to. Pious dispelled the field.

"How'd you know that would work," Luna asked.

"I…didn't."

* * *

Moon and Mask exited the alley. Zoicite awaited them with crossed arms and small grin. They began to circle around him. People crowded around, but kept a safe distance utterly unsure of what to make of this whole.

"You don't see any movie cameras around, do you," one woman asked her boyfriend.

Mask glanced around at the people.

"We better make this quick, warrior," he said.

"You're with me on this, right," Moon asked.

"Oh, yeah, but first…"

The thin blade of his hidden sword glowed and changed shape. When the brightness dimmed he was holding a proper sword, a one-and-a-half grip long sword.

"Whoa. Hey, that power's a lot like mine. Are you…" Moon started to ask.

"Questions later. Kill _him_ now," Mask replied.

They started towards Zoicite. He didn't move. Not one inch, even when they charged. He just stood there, smiling at them. They both thought this very odd. Right when they reached him, Mask stopped and looked behind while Moon rushed on ahead and was cut nothing but air as the illusion dissipated. Zoicite reappeared on the roof of a car, laughing. Then they heard his laughter everywhere as more and more of him appeared all around in a circle. They each began casting.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG," Warrior Moon shouted.

She threw the blades and they circled all around, exposing each illusion in seconds. It still wasn't quick enough to discover the true Zoicite, and the blasts were fired. Mask wrapped an arm and his cape around Moon and his body shined in the dark, indicative of a protective barrier. They were bombarded by several blasts, one of which was real, but Masks' barrier protected them from the worse of it, though some did get through. They gritted their teeth to work through the pain. They were very much still alive. Above, Zoicite was suspended, positioned like she was lying on a couch.

"Well, that was fun, children," he said jovially.

Then he yawned and stretched as if working out some kinks in the joints.

"But, even men need their beauty sleep sometimes, so I've prepared some evening entertainment in my absence. I hope you like it."

He snapped his fingers. A patch of concrete began to swirl not far away. It churned as if it were some kind of gelatinous goo. It stretched upwards until it was about human height and took human shape. The colors changed until it was a grisly-looking woman with dirt-colored skin in a black dress and wild, unkempt hair. She had her back to them present, looking up to Zoicite.

"Ah, there you are," Zoicite said as if greeting a guest over for tea. "Warrior Moon, Phantom Mask, I'd like you both to meet Morga. She'll be filling in for me tonight. Now take good care of them. If I find out you were rude, Morga, I'll have to scold you. Goodbye, all. Try not to have too much fun."

"I obey, Master Zoicite," she rasped.

"Hey, wait you-" Moon yelled.

Morga's neck rotated all the way around to look at them. Moon let a short scream. They could see her face now. She had pointed ears, a huge grin that stretched up to the sides of her face far too wide for her to be human, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. She had black eyes with yellow irises. A large pink mass of scar tissue adorned her forehead. She had two holes in her face where a normal nose would go.

She turned her body around and raised both arms in the air, revealing that each finger ended in a short but deadly claw. She opened her mouth widely, much too widely, and it looked something akin to a snake unhinging its jaw at its prey.

"It-It's a monster," someone yelled.

The crowd fled the scene, scattering in all directions.

Moon and Mask went on the offensive, rushing in with their weapons at the ready, but she was ready for them. With a sickly crunching sound, her arms became as boneless lumps of flesh. She flicked them back like whips. Then she cracked both limps forward and they stretched. She punched Moon and Mask in the chest, and they crashed into the sidewalk.

Luna and Pious stepped out of the alley, observing the scene. Luna summoned her spear ready to get a hid in from behind. Pious grabbed her hand to stop her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Wait. I want to see how that girl goes with just the boy's help."

Morga attacked with just one now. It lashed across the side of the buildings leaving deep scratch marks in them. Moon scrambled to her feet and blocked the attack with the flat of her blade. It sent the girl sliding several feet. The hand whipped back and the other came at her. Moon ducked under the swipe and then Morga used the other.

Mask got back up and charged. He held the sword in both hands. He ducked the oncoming blow by throwing his body back almost vertically with one hand and leg supporting his weight underneath and the other leg outstretched. He pushed himself back up without missing a stride.

Moon back-flipped over the attack and followed Mask's charge. Morga lashed out again. It came right at Warrior Moon, who simply dodged it by taking a low running step to the side without slowing down one bit. Morga retreated back a step. She whipped at them again to try to hit them before they could get to her. They were practically on top of her now!

Moon simply somersaulted over Morga's head, landing behind her while Mask dropped down low and it sailed right over his head again. Moon faced one of the blades towards her and stabbed under her shoulder at the beast behind her. Mask aimed for Morga's neck.

Morga's body twisted out of the way of Moon's stab while her head turned itself upside down 'til it was resting on her own bosoms going right under Mask's attack. Her fists came right at the two again, but they were quick to parry the attack. Her limbs recoiled and tried again, pounding at the two again and again and again.

Morga jumped out from between the two of them, returning her body to its original form. They attempted to charge her again, but she unleashed a flurry of intense blows. The first strike came down at an angle forcing the girl to drop almost to a split. The arm bounced off the ground coming back upwards between them, but Mask anticipated her move rolled out of the way.

Morga slammed a fist onto cement next to Mask ricocheting it right up at his face. He leaned back away from the attack just in time. It snapped past him right at Warrior Moon, who parried it with her blade. She kept this up, but didn't manage to get a good hit in on either one, as they'd caught onto her pattern. So this time she swept both arms across, one low and one high. Mask successfully dove right between the sweeping branch-like arms. Moon tried to jump over again, but got clotheslined and smacked onto the cement flat on her back.

Mask knelt down by her and shook her while whispering something in her ear. Morga grinned and closed in on them. Mask faced her and stood. He stepped in between Morga and Warrior Moon. He gritted his sword tightly.

"How sweet," Morga mocked. "But all for naught. Farewell, human, you'll make a tasty treat."

Her claws grew out three sizes their original length. In response, Mask closed his eyes and focused. The blade of his sword began to glow with a strange light. She hissed at him and attacked quickly to stop whatever he was doing. This time, when he swung his sword at the oncoming arm-whip, it wasn't to block. Morga shrieked in agony as half her arm fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Wicked, wicked man," she screamed.

"Impossible," Pious muttered.

In rage and fear, she lashed out with the other. Oddly, Mask chose to drop flat against the ground instead. Morga breath caught short and she gagged on nothing but air. There Warrior Moon stood, unharmed. She was already throwing her sword like a javelin at her. Morga had no time to dodge. The first blade impaled her through the stomach stopping at the hilt.

Morga made a sick gargling sound as drool rolled down her chin. She was then dragged across the pavement. Moon was beckoning her weapon back to her and bringing the beast with. Mask stood again raising his sword high. Morga tried to pull herself loose or resist, but she was stuck good and the pull had her. Panicking, she punched straight at Mask. He simply held his sword out in front. Morga hit the sword with all everything she had, which was a mistake. The blade sliced right between his middle knuckles carving her hand in half down the middle and going on up the arm. The halved strands of flesh piled on either side of Mask.

At last, Morga was in range. Mask brought over one powerful stroke. Morga's head rolled away. Her lifeless form was dragged the rest of the way over to Moon.

"Ew! Gross," Moon said, disgusted.

She willed the blades to retract, dislodging them from the felled creature. Morga's knees buckled and the body fell into a heap on the ground. She tentatively held her gore-covered hilt.

Mask looked around.

"That was way too easy," he said.

"What are you talking about," Moon asked.

"She was just a small fry. Of all things Zoicite would have sicced on us, why her?"

"Maybe because I'm not so small fry after all," Morga's garbled voice shouted.

The headless, armless body got back up. Out popped more tendrils. Moon sprang away higher than she had ever gone before out of pure fright. Mask tried to put some distance between himself and the creature himself, but the tendrils came at him too fast. He sliced and cut many away, but a few grabbed hold of his leg keeping him in place while he desperately fought against them.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG," Moon shouted.

Both halves of Morga's body fell away from each other into a stinking, burned mess. The tendrils released Mask. Warrior Moon landed beside him. They watched the body for a while before deciding it was dead for good.

Then they heard scratching sound behind them. They looked at each other, and then behind. Morga's head had sprouted spider-like legs and it was walking away.

"I swear that thing just gets grosser by the minute," Moon whined.

Morga stopped when a pair of feet, each one from a different person, suddenly stepped down in her way. She looked up at the Celestial Warrior Moon and Phantom Mask standing over her side-by-side. They stared down at her without pity.

"And just where do you think you're going," Phantom Mask asked firmly.

Without another word, they plunged their blades into the head. It cried out, once, and then was silenced. Morga's empty stare looked up at them. They stepped away from the remains and walked over to Luna and Pious who came out of the alley.

"You did well, Warrior Moon," Luna congratulated.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Indeed. Not bad," Pious said. "But you still need to improve your skills greatly."

Moon turned to Mask.

"Who are you, really? You always seem to pop up whenever you're needed, so I know you can't be an enemy."

"Heh. I'm Phantom Mask, Master Thief. That's all. Don't get the wrong idea, princess. I didn't come here to help you, those people, or that girl. I was looking for something."

"Oh," Moon said disappointed.

"I didn't find it, though," Mask finished. "Though you are certainly an interesting little gem."

He then leaned in gave her a kiss on a cheek. She froze up flushed.

"Until next time, my pretty little soldier."

He retreated into the shadows.

"Yeah, didn't come here to save anyone, indeed. Which is exactly why he was about to sacrifice himself for the Osaka girl when we came in," Luna deadpanned.

"I hear sirens. Let's get going, Usagi," Luna said. "Usagi?"

"It appears her mind has gone elsewhere," Pious said, observing the swooning girl.

"You're implying it was ever _here_ to begin with?"

Hey, that's mean," Moon cried indignantly.

"Tee," Luna chimed.

She looked away from the two Keepers over at the Osaka Jewelry one last time. A recovered Miku was poking her head out of the front. She turned back to those inside the store and confirmed it was safe to come out now. Naru emerged from the alleyway.

She looked over at her friend, the celestial warrior. Usagi nodded over to her and held a finger to her lips to remind her. Naru returned the gesture, before turning to her aunt.

"Oh, Naru, thank goodness," Miku cried.

She hugged her niece tightly to her.

"You are alright? I don't remember a thing after a certain point. What happened?"

"We were saved," Naru whispered.

"Saved? By who, and from what," Miku asked. "Oh, none of this makes any sense!"

"From what? Not a clue," Naru murmured. "But the _who_ is the bravest person I know."

* * *

"My Queen," Jadeite bowed.

He held up a black orb containing the energy of the human they had robbed it from at her height.

"So much energy," Beryl mused. "And all just from one human?"

"It is," Nephrite asserted. "Like I said to Jadeite, it's all about timing."

"Oh, good, so you succeeded," Zoicite said.

He gave a bow to his matriarch before taking his place next to his peers. They watched the encased mass fed again. The entity was growing stronger thanks to its "meals".

"I certainly hope it was worth it. The warrior's resolve strengthens," Zoicite reported.

Beryl chuckled smugly.

"It matters not, Zoicite. Her heart can become as firm as the mountains and it still won't do her a single bit of fun when our great leader awakens," she replied.

"Yes, my Queen," Zoicite answered.

"With enough pushing, our leader may never awaken at all," he thought.

**A/N**: Sorry this chapter took so long. I had another fight scene worked out, but it was too big for this early in the story. Don't worry, though, I saved it and will be using it at a later time.


	8. Chapter 7: Interludes

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

TsukiyoTenshi: That twist is actually one of the things that inspired me to write this. Thank you very much.

LoveInTheBattlefield: And thank you, as always.

Drew L.: Yes, I am definitely trying to avert the "Tuxedo Mask" is useless trope.

**Chapter 7**

**Interludes**

Apr. 9th, Thursday, 1992.

"…And that's the whole story," Usagi finished.

She and Naru leaned over the railing on the roof of the school. After Usagi concluded telling Naru what she'd been told, the two stood in silence for a while.

"They're not telling you everything," Naru said at last.

"I know."

"I think you should find out the whole story before committing to this," Naru advised. "They could just be using you as a pawn."

"Really?"

"Yes, Usagi, they could. I'm not saying to denounce them outright, but I think you deserve some answers if you're going to be fighting their battles with these other people you'll be teaming up with who you haven't even met yet."

"Hmm. I guess I just kinda thought they were working up to that. I dunno, really, Naru. Problem is I can't just refuse to do this. All those people at the store… Your Aunt… You… Oh, man, if this is just the warm up act for The Dark Kingdom…"

Usagi felt so afraid and alone. Naru stepped in close and hugged her. She leaned her head on Usagi's.

"I wish I could help," she whispered.

"You _are_. Believe me, you are," Usagi replied.

"I'm glad," Naru said. "Listen, Usagi. You're a very trusting and loyal person. Just…make sure you've throw in your lot with the right people, okay."

"I will," Usagi promised.

"Oh, right, that Luna woman is living with you now."

"Oh yeah. I _think _I can trust her."

"Be careful."

"Huh?"

"Well, they said monsters attacks are happening all over the world. And they're just keeping a lid on it," Naru said.

"Yeah, that's the part I'm struggling with, too. Oh well, it's not like they can't send me clear to Greenland in a moment's notice."

"True, but…"

"I'm not really sure if they're right or not," Usagi replied. "But, they think it's for the best. They said humans used to live in fear of their monster overlords in ages past and we only started prospering _after_ they were taken down several pegs."

"I hope they're right," Naru said.

A moment passed.

"So…she turns into a cat?" Naru asked.

"Yeah… And for some reason, her clothes change with her," Usagi said.

"Have any of her feline habits popped while in human form?" Naru asked light-heartedly.

"Not yet, but I'm not sure I _want_ to see a full grown woman scoot."

Both girls into hysterical laughter picturing it.

"How are you and your aunt doing?" Usagi asked.

"Better. Auntie's back to normal. The store just needs a little cleaning up, but other than that we're still in business. The police think someone's gunning for me. Are they?"

"No, you were just unlucky," Usagi answered. "Well, I'm glad that this all turned out better than the other…incident."

"So, what now?" Naru asked. "I mean, what happens when someone finds this Moon Princess and tells her to summon this 'silver crystal' whatsimajig?"

"I don't know. No one has any idea who the Moon Princess is, or where," Usagi said.

"And you only have the _whole world_ to look for her in."

"Oh, yeah, hadn't thought of that," Usagi muttered. "Luna told me the Moon Princess will fix everything, but I dunno. I guess finding her will be the hard part."

"Oh, by the way, how did you get past your parents last night? You're not in any trouble, are you?"

"What? No! I snuck out with Luna and rode her bike to the shop. Good thing, too, or else I'd have had to run all the way to the store and might not have made it in time even with Phantom Mask helping."

"Oh, right the other thing I meant to ask you," Naru chirped. "Who _is _Phantom Mask?"

"Dunno. He won't tell me. Still. Thank goodness for him, even if he was originally there to rob the store."

"What? Why?" Naru asked.

"He's also looking for the crystal, I think."

"Oh, so there's a wild card in the mix."

"Yeah, but for who?"

"You like him, don't you?"

"Wha-What? Don't be silly, Naru! I don't even know the guy's name!"

"Ooh, but a mystery man in a mask and black swoops in to save the day every time you're in danger. Come on, Usagi, the appeal's obvious!"

"Well-well….maybe," Usagi blushed.

"I knew it! Totally called it," Naru chimed. "So, Phantom Mask, the mysterious bad boy, and Motoki, the nice guy just around the corner. Which will Usagi pick!"

Usagi's shade of red deepened as Naru continued to tease her.

"My heart _belongs_ to Motoki," Usagi cried. "Phantom Mask made his true intentions very well known last night!"

"Whatever you say, Usagi," Naru giggled.

"And WHAT is that supposed to mean!"

"Oh, nothing."

"And besides," Usagi added. "What if Motoki really _is_ Phantom Mask?"

"…What?"

* * *

"Naru? _Again,_ really?" Makoto asked, utterly astounded.

"I know," Ami replied.

The two leaned against the wall of the gym while they talked quietly amongst themselves while they waited to be called up by the PE teacher.

"Geez, I hope this doesn't become routine for the poor girl. I don't think I could put up with being stuck in the hospital again if I have to step up again," Makoto said. "I still have a few stitches that haven't come out yet. It was bad enough when Usagi almost busted 'em when she gave me that bear hug in class this morning."

Ami giggled, remembering the sight.

"It's was just because she was so happy to see you up again," Ami replied.

"Yeah, I know."

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised they let you out so soon," Ami said. "You were hurt very badly. Are you sure you can handle school again so soon?"

"Hey, if Naru can buck up and take it after all the crap she's been through lately, so can I," Makoto replied assertively. "The doctor said I healed like crazy. He said he's never seen anyone recover like this before. You should have seen his face when I told him I've always been like that."

Makoto then felt a round of dizziness come on and she shook it off.

"Mako?" Ami asked, concerned in her voice.

"Yeah, it's just… I don't know. I get this weird feeling whenever I think of that stupid tabby. It feels almost like my brain's trying to tell me something."

"You, too?!" Ami asked in surprise.

Makoto looked at the shorter girl, puzzled.

"Excuse me?"

Well…" Ami looked away meekly. "Does the leopard ever…flicker out for just a second or two, and instead…you see something…something…"

She stopped.

"Something _horrible_," Makoto finished for her.

Ami nodded. Makoto's eye widened from shock and bewilderment.

"What's up with that?" Makoto said quietly.

"You got me," Ami replied. "I'm still struggling with how it got into Naru's basement."

"An open window," Makoto suggested.

"It'd have to be," Ami hummed thoughtfully.

She looked at Makoto, recalled what she said about stitches.

"A-Anyway, how are your parents handling the whole thing?" Ami asked.

"I'm living on my own," Makoto replied. "But no sweat, I can handle myself."

"Oh, so you had to move to come to Juuban Junior High?" Ami asked.

"No, I'm still living in the same apartment I've been in all my life," Makoto replied, her voice becoming somber. "It's just that…my parents are gone."

"Oh," Ami replied compassionately, getting the message. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really. I manage," Makoto replied. "Besides, the doctor insisted on having a nurse stop by to check on me."

"Are you sure? I can skip cram school today," Ami offered.

"What? No! I'll be fine, Ami. You need to look after yourself, too, you know," Makoto replied.

Ami still didn't look won over by this.

"Anyway, which cram school are you going to, Ami?" Makoto asked.

"Crystal Seminar," Ami replied.

"No way! That place for super smart people," Makoto was impressed.

"That's the place. Mom insisted that I start attending, because of this," Ami replied.

She began looking for something in her book bag. She pulled out a computer disk of some kind.

"This, the Crystal Disk. It's supposed to make me more intelligent," Ami said, holding it up so Makoto could see it.

"You _need _to be smarter?" Makoto asked with humor.

"Mom sure seems to think so," Ami replied unhappily. "After I…"

Ami just stopped suddenly.

"What?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything," Ami said with a blush that was practically luminescent.

"Oh, really," Makoto smirked knowingly.

"It wasn't like that at all," Ami cried.

"Whatever you say," Makoto replied in a singsong tone.

"Makoto!"

The tall girl just laughed at the brainy one's flustered state.

"Back to this," Ami said with a slightly grumpy tone. "I get a lot of studying done, but I don't know if the disk is actually making me smarter. I haven't noticed a change in my grades at all. All I really seem to get from it is a headache and I'm always exhausted after cram school."

"Maybe it's a sign that you can't force smart," Makoto said.

Then the brunette thought about it for a moment.

"I haven't really heard of computer programs giving their users headaches before, but I'm not what you'd call an expert."

* * *

"So where are you heading now Naru?" Usagi asked.

"The hospital. I stop off on the way home to see mom every day," Naru replied. "And you?"

"Training with Luna. We're starting today," Usagi grumbled.

Naru smiled apologetically as the two headed out the front doors of the school.

"Good luck, Usagi. I'll see you tomorrow."

They parted way, Naru going over to the nearest bus stop and Usagi jogging towards home.

* * *

"Zoicite, in Japan," Myddin pondered.

"Yes," Pious replied. "I don't like it. He's the Commander of the European Division of the Dark Kingdom. Jadeite is the Far East's Commander. What is going on here?"

"There's been no word on the street of Jadeite for weeks now," Artemis confirmed. "I agree with Pious. Draining people in an open jewelry store, and in broad daylight? I'd expect that kind of recklessness from Jadeite. But Zoicite? They're up to something."

At the moment, all the remaining High Keepers, sans Luna, were at a meeting sitting at a plain wooden round table, discussing what the latest events.

"Now that I think of it, our agents in North America recently reported that they haven't been seeing much of Nephrite, either," Wren added. "His maid says he's been studying something very intently lately."

"How did you get her to give you the information?" Artemis asked.

"A fancy restaurant, wine, and a little 'pumping' for information go a long way," Wren replied suggestively.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot who I was talking to," Artemis muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What is the current status of Kunzite?" Myddin asked.

"Active in the Middle East. He's the only one of the Shitennou that's still behaving normally," Kratos replied. "Right now a majority of our men are tied up stopping that _Gulf War II Project_ he's working on with The Dark Agency. That many lives would keep the Dark Kingdom's forces strong for a long time."

"I see," Myddin nodded. "Our enemy is well-coordinated and keeping our resources divided. Has anyone located _any_ of the other Celestial Warriors yet?"

"Just candidates, other than Minako Aino we have no other confirmed sleeping Warriors," Jocelyn replied.

"Shall I fully awaken Mina yet?" Artemis asked.

"No. At the moment, we still need Sailor V in the eyes of the public. Her talents are best put to use stopping them from gathering energy for the Dark Kingdom's forces," Myddin spoke.

"So we need to awaken the others," Kratos said firmly. "What about that girl, Rei Hino? She showed a lot of promise in The Land of Black Leaves."

"Is there any doubt about her?" Artemis asked.

"Not that I could see," Rusila responded. "But that still only adds up to three."

"Luna believes she's found two more among Usagi's classmates," Myddin said. "After she has pursued this avenue, we shall make our next move."

* * *

Luna pushed open the double sliding doors of the Keeper's private dojo open.

"Welcome to the training area, Usagi."

Usagi whistled at the sheer scope of the space. It had to be the size of a baseball field. The entire place was filled with Keepers performing combat drills. There were glass windows around the upper portion of the walls, allowing passersby in the hall to observe it from above. Luna gestured for Usagi to follow and the two made their way through between the various blue mats that had been laid out. Eyes were on her every step of the way, making the blonde very self-conscious. They were both wearing workout clothes, which basically amounted to T's and shorts.

"Well, I _am_ one of the ones they've been waiting for. I guess this kind of attention is to be expected," she thought to herself.

"Here we are," Luna said.

They stepped onto a mat reserved just for them. A tall, handsome boy with short blonde hair in a white karate uniform leaned against a concrete pillar near their matt. He stood and also stepped onto it. Luna faced him, and he stood at attention before her.

"Commander Luna," he said. "Apprentice Keeper Haruka Tenou reporting."

"At ease," Luna replied. "Usagi, I'd like you meet…"

"The race car driver? He's like, the _first _really awesome one Japan's had in a long time*" Usagi exclaimed, surprised.

"Oh, so you know of me, little kitten," Haruka purred.

"Ah-well-yeah! Hey, those moves on the track when those guys tried to send you into the spin, but you made them fall for their own trap: awesome!" she replied.

Haruka stepped in closer and leaned in until their faces were inches apart. He held her chin tilting her head up.

"So, Odango-tama, is it possible that you have interest in the roar of an engine and the sound of wind rushing past all around you? Hmm," Haruka asked in a sultry tone.

"Oh, brother…" Luna groaned.

She facepalmed, and was beginning to regret inviting Haruka the Flirt to this.

"Ahem, Usagi, we really need to…" Luna said.

She noticed that the girl was lost in Haruka's presence. His beautiful blue eyes, his handsome face, and smile all seemed as perfection to her right now. Haruka leaned in to kiss the girl on the lips.

"Ahem," Luna cleared her throat.

The lech paused on hearing her, but then ignored it.

"Well, actually, I just watch with my father and brother sometimes," Usagi replied.

"Alas, I was hoping I had met a kindred spirit," Haruka said wistfully.

"I can change," Usagi hastily.

"USAGI!"

"Eep," Usagi jumped, the spell broken.

Haruka looked over at Luna, who was glaring sternly at him. He laughed disarmingly and backed off.

"If I'm not mistaken, you already have a girlfriend, Tenou," Luna said irritably.

"Awww…." Usagi whined.

"Oh, don't fret, little rose, I have a big heart."

"Ugh. Haruka, Usagi, just grab a practice sword and get into your corners!"

They obeyed and each took a corner of the mat.

"Well," Luna said. "Since we don't actually have any idea how reincarnation or the passing of Celestial Powers works, we have a lot of work to do. Usagi!"

"Yeah."

"When you're transformed into Celestial Warrior Moon, how do you know how to fight like you do?"

"I dunno. It just kinda happens on its own. I never took single a karate lesson. When I put on the armor, it's like a suddenly know how to do this stuff."

"Interesting. Could it be genetic memory?" Luna pondered.

"Genetic memory?" Usagi asked.

"Genetic memory just means that you might have the memories of your ancestors stored in your blood. If it's that, then you really are a relative of the original Celestial Warrior Moon," Haruka replied.

"It's just a theory and no one's ever managed to prove it under normal circumstances," Luna said.

"Well, I stepped through a convenience store in Japan and ended in up a hide-out hundreds of miles away under the sea," Usagi said. "_Normal h_as officially left the building."

Haruka and Luna laughed.

"Are you implying it was ever here?" Haruka replied.

"Um…" Usagi thought about it.

"Alright, you two, time for practice. Usagi, I want to try to access those combat skills without transforming. Begin!"

Usagi and Haruka circled one another. Usagi tried to hold the sword in the correct manner while concentrating on bringing out her ability to kick ass.

"Hiya," she screamed.

She took a clumsy swing at Haruka. With one half-hearted parry, Haruka disarmed her and the practice sword clattered on the floor.

"Again," Luna ordered.

Usagi charged Haruka with the blade held high. He simply side stepped the younger girl's swing at the last second and fell face first on the ground after tripping over her own feet.

"Again!"

"Aaaugh," Usagi yelped as she was thrown halfway across the mat.

"Again!"

"How did that happen?" a Keeper asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Haruka replied.

"Can someone help get me down from here?!" Usagi begged, hanging from the rafters.

After three more tries, it was obvious that Usagi was hopeless outside of her celestial gear. While they tried to figure out what to do next, Myddin wondered in.

"Hello, Luna, Usagi, Haruka," Myddin greeted.

"Oh, hello, sir," Haruka replied.

He dropped what he was doing and stood at attention.

"At ease, girl, we're not that formal," Myddin chuckled.

"_Girl_? You're not a boy?" Usagi asked Haruka.

"Does it really matter, kitten," Haruka asked.

"I-uh-well…"

"How goes the training," Myddin asked Luna while the girls continued to talk.

"Well, we found out that she only knows how to fight when transformed into the armor," Luna said. "A pity, I was hoping she could at least access her swordsman skills in civilian form."

"I see," Myddin muttered thoughtfully. "Well, we can fully solve the mysteries of the Celestial Warriors later. At the moment, our top priority is making sure she's ready for anything Queen Beryl can send out. Ah, speaking of which."

He turned to Usagi.

"Haruka, could you relieve Usagi of her Transformation Hilt, please?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Haruka replied, though she was puzzled by this order.

"What," Usagi cried.

"Myddin?" Luna asked.

He held up a hand and looked at her.

"Trust me."

"Hey, stop that," Usagi struggled against Haruka.

Haruka had her held tight. When she found what she was looking for, she withdrew.

"Got it," Haruka announced.

She held the hilt high while Usagi tried to grab it back.

"Hey, give that back! Give it back to me!"

"Haruka, _do not willing return it to Usagi_," Myddin ordered.

Haruka complied and continued to keep it away from the other girl. After several unsuccessful tries at forcing Haruka to give her back the item, she turned angrily to Myddin.

"Hey! Why are ya doing this? I _thought I _was supposed to be learning how to be a better warrior!"

"Calm down," Myddin said. "Now, Usagi, think. Why did the hilt come to you in the first place?"

"Because I'm Celestial Warrior Moon," Usagi said emphatically.

"Well, yes and no. Think back on what you were doing when it came to you. Why did it come?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because once you remember, no one will ever be able to take it from you again," Myddin replied.

Usagi sighed, and thought back that night. The Rake was about to kill her when suddenly she felt an awesome power in herself, and in that moment she felt like she could call it, so she did. Then the Transformation Hilt answered the call of its master. She faced Haruka and held out a hand.

"Come," she ordered.

The hilt flew out of Haruka's hand and back to Usagi's. She heard Myddin clapping his hands behind her. She looked at him quizzically.

"How'd you know that would work?"

Myddin winked at her.

"Some of the ancient texts tell of the Warriors calling their Transformation Items to them with similar results. At least now we know you can never truly be disarmed," he replied.

"Who made these?" Usagi asked, turning the hilt over in her hands. "Whoever it was planned for everything."

"No one rightly knows. Much like the Silver Crystal, their true origins are shrouded in mystery, but the functions of both are clear enough, so it's not great mystery what the thoughts of their creators were," Myddin explained.

"I think it's time you suited up," Luna said.

"Okay," Usagi replied.

A flash of light and she was the Warrior again. Several gases in awe could be heard from all around. A tear almost ran down Myddin's cheek at the sight of her in her gear. The reality of that one of the warriors they'd been waiting for so long was amongst them became, well… more real just then.

"Alright, now spare Haruka, non-lethal mode," Luna instructed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Usagi said.

She switched out blades and took her corner of the mat. Haruka took the other.

"Begin," Luna ordered.

The sparring partners closed the gap between them quickly and went at it. Usagi's twirling blades came in rapid succession, but Haruka was a skilled swordsman and blocked every single strike. The tomboy ducked left of a downward strike, blocked the next which came from the side, and jumped back against an upwards swing. With Usagi's side exposed, Haruka came forward with a thrusting move, which was parried.

Usagi swung upwards, but Haruka adjusted the angle of her blade to stop it. While their blades were interlocked, Haruka suddenly kneed Usagi in the side. Usagi crashed into the ground and looked up to get a wooden blade to her throat.

"Dead," Haruka said. "You have to watch your sides at all times."

"O-okay."

Myddin and Luna watched closely as the two traded blows.

"She's very good," Myddin observed.

"Yeah, with the armor on, she'd something else," Luna grinned.

"Oh, yes, Usagi, too," Myddin said.

As the sparring match went on, it became clear that as far as technical skill and form went, Usagi was fit for a real fight. However, there were several times when Luna and Myddin noticed when she would miss a subtle opening, missing a chance to exploit it. Her ability to defeat an enemy only went as far as the girl's natural observation skills, which needed a lot of work still.

"Oh, boy, that was exhilarating," Haruka said, wiping her brow.

"Done already," Usagi asked, surprised.

"I don't we think we're going to learn anymore today. Well done, kiddo," Haruka said.

She extended her hand for a handshake, which Usagi accepted. When she did, Haruka threw her over her shoulders onto her back. Then pinned her down and held the wooden blade to her throat.

"Except for this one final lesson," Haruka whispered. "Never give them any quarter, and expect no quarter to be given to you. Remember that, and you might live long enough to see the Moon Princess ascend."

"Yes, sir…er, ma'am."

Haruka chuckled, and stood. She offered a hand to Usagi and helped the warrior to her feet.

"Sir, ma'am. Either will do for me," Haruka said.

"Um, do you consider yourself a man or a woman?" Usagi asked.

"Both."

Usagi looked past Haruka at Luna, who just shrugged and rolled her eyes as if to say "just roll with it".

"I think Haruka has the right idea, that's enough for today," Luna said.

"That was fun. We should this again sometime, muffinhead," Haruka called after Usagi.

"Oh, man! Don't do that," Usagi said miserably.

"What? What?" Haruka asked.

"I already have one guy calling me names. Just Usagi, alright?"

"Heh heh, how about Bunny?"

"…Okay, 'Bunny'," Usagi said, with resignation.

At least that wasn't _that_ bad.

"Alright, Bunny. I will be seeing you again."

Haruka blew her a kiss as they left her behind in the sparring area. Haruka shook her head as Usagi. Then she noticed Myddin looking with an amused look.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Myddin replied. "Absolutely nothing."

* * *

"Stupid, lousy nurse," Makoto grumbled. "She's all _'you really should take it easy, Ms. Kino' _and '_here, let me make that grocery run for you, Ms. Kino'_, and then forgets the eggs! You NEED eggs to make "Egg" Drop Soup."

She kicked a can that happened to be lying on the sidewalk in her way.

"Humph," she pouted.

The can hit something.

"Hey! What the hell?" she heard a male voice shout.

Makoto looked ahead towards the source of the voice. There she saw a black-haired man in a black shirt and pants and green jacket looking around with an annoyed look holding the can she'd just kicked. Makoto sighed and quickened pace, going over to him. She hung her head looking at her feet somewhat embarrassed.

"I think you're looking for me. Sorry about that," she said genuinely.

"Ever heard of recycling? Man, that is the second time in less than week a girl's thrown something at my head," he said grumpily.

He handed it to her, and she reluctantly took it.

"Yeah…" Makoto mumbled. "Listen, I…"

She looked up at his face for the first time.

"I…I…I…" her speech entered a loop as she got lost in his aqua eyes.

He raised a brow.

"What's up with you?" he asked flatly.

"I…I…I…uh, me…Makoto," she managed to stammer out.

"Mamoru," he returned the greeting. "See ya. Don't throw anymore things at people's heads."

"Yeah…" she said dumbly.

"Ooookay," he said.

He went on his way, leaving Makoto standing there with her purpose in leaving her apartment completely forgotten.

"Wait a minute," he said. "That girl. Isn't she one of the ones that was…"

He looked over his shoulder at her one more time before rounding the corner.

* * *

"Welcome to Hikawa Shrine," Siggie greeted.

"Oh, hello," A girl in her mid-teens replied with a bow.

"Oh, wow, he's cute," she thought.

"Hey, I know that uniform. You've come a long way out to visit us," Siggie said. "Is this visit more than just a quick stop off to pray, perhaps?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," she replied, blushing. "I'm here for that one ceremony."

"The 5:30 Love Blessing? Twenty minutes earlier and you'd have just been here in time, sorry."

"Oh," the girl said disappointed.

Siggie smiled knowingly.

"But, starting to today, we are offering something else that might also help in the area of love. New Love Amulets to guarantee you will find what you're looking for. We're selling them at the shop."

* * *

"Have a nice day, ladies," Rei called after three latest customers.

She was tending the store and had been all day, because the Love Charms Siggie suggested to her grandfather were selling like cold water in a desert. She glanced at the stand the little charms hung from and saw that it needed restocking. Rei pulled out the cardboard box underneath the counter and opened it. They were almost out, period.

"Oh, geez, Siggie and I are going to have to make more of these tonight if we're going to have any tomorrow," Rei thought.

No sooner had she emptied out the box did the girl approach her. Rei smiled warmly at the customers.

"Hello, I'm Rei. How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm looking for a Love Charm."

"Oh, of _course_, here they are."

"Oh, thank you," the girl beamed, handing Rei the money.

"You're welcome. Have a nice day," Rei said nicely.

As soon as the girl was gone, Rei absently looked others charms the shop also sold that hardly ever got bought. They were there were ones for ailing relatives, spirit wards, and amulets for many other things that seemed like they should be selling out, too, especially with all the weird occurrences going on lately.

"Kids today, no priorities," she muttered, cradling her head.

Then she realized what she just said and ran a hand through her hair frustratedly.

"Ugh, I sound like an old woman," she groaned.

* * *

"Bye-bye, girls," Hibiki waved after the departing teens.

Siggie walked up the summit of the old stone steps leading up to the shrine. He watched the girls all wait at the bus stop. He glanced at his watch. The 6 O'Clock bus pulled up and let them in. Then it took off as soon as they were all on board. Siggie smirked as he watched it drive off.

* * *

Rei's breath caught in her chest as a premonition of danger impacted her mind like a beating hammer. She saw an image of bodies lying in a limp heap together in a dark place. Deimos and Phobos landed on the counter cawing with alarm. She climbed over the counter and broke into a dead sprint following where her senses led. She sped past her Grandfather and Siggie down the stairs, taking wide paces skipping every other step.

"Rei? What wrong's?" Hibiki asked.

"I don't know, but I just had a vision," she called back to him.

Both men followed after her out onto the sidewalk, where she stopped. She fell onto her knees and hunched over.

"Rei?" Hibiki called.

She didn't respond at first, so he grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to face. He gingerly held her chin and turned her head up to face him. She had limp, unfocused stare.

"Rei," Hibiki said again, greatly concerned. "What's wrong? What it is?"

"It's gone. I was too late," she whispered. "It took them. It took them."

* * *

Ami yawned. She shuffled out of the Crystal Seminar towards. She tried to shake it off, but she was practically dead on her feet with a headache and dizziness. Her eyes lids were so heavy they just wouldn't stay open no matter how much she tried. Granted, she was always tired after cram school, but today was the worse. Without thinking, she stepped out onto the road.

A car horn blared at her and she looked at the numbly with half-lidded eyes. Suddenly, someone yanked back onto the sidewalk.

"Ami? What the hell? That guy could have run you over," the person asked, astonished.

The tired girl looked slowly at the source of her savior. It was Makoto. She had a grocery bag in one arm.

"Oh…(yawn) …Hi, Mako."

Ami shook her head again and gave her cheeks and good slap to try to wake up. It worked momentarily, but then her eyes closed by themselves again. She laughed senselessly. Makoto was at a loss of what to make of this.

"Ami? What have you been doing all day?" she asked.

"Just studying. Cram school just got out. I'm heading home."

Ami pointed with an unsteady arm over at the Crystal Seminar. Makoto looked where she pointed to see other students leaving the building in various states of exhaustion, ranging to mild to being just as bad as Ami.

"What do they have you doing in there?"

"Just work with computers. It's supposed to…uh…straight, no….sharpen…the, uh, the, uh…"

"Sharpen the mind," Makoto finished for her.

"Yeah! What you said. Seeya later, Mako."

"Oh, no, you don't! You're in no condition to go anywhere by yourself! Come on, I'll help you."

"MakoOooo… I'm fine. You're still hurt…"

"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Now stop trying to push me away and just let yourself lean on me, already!"

"Kayyyy…"

"Good. Now what's your address?"

As Ami drawled it out, Makoto regarded the institute one last time. She didn't know much about computers, but she knew that this wasn't normal. She fully intended to have words with Ami's mother about this. Then she looked at her bag, lamenting that she wouldn't be getting the eggs home anytime soon.

"Hey, Ami, how do you like egg drop soup?" she asked. "I'll make dinner when we get there."

* * *

In Nephrite's study in his estate in New York City, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoicite schemed up another plot. Jadeite leaned against the wall next to one of Nephrite's many, many bookshelves reading the list of targets. Zoicite was lounging on the couch reading a book. Nephrite was pouring over star charts and making calculations.

"Looks like the next one will be ready on the 14th," Jadeite said. "Perhaps I can get an early start enriching this man's energy levels."

"Feel free, but don't get cocky, Jadeite," Nephrite cautioned from his desk.

"Oh, come now? When I have been known to overdo it?" Jadeite asked confidently.

"You don't seriously want me to answer that, do you?" Nephrite said without turning around.

Jadeite glared at the older man and scoffed.

"I didn't think so," Nephrite said, grinning.

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Well, there is that…_evening company _ring you started in using those succubae in Romania," Zoicite said. "That one almost got you nailed by Orion."

Jadeite turned red and puffed up with fury.

"I _did not_ almost get nailed by Orion!" Jedeite yelled defensively.

"Mm-hmm," Zoicite said slyly.

"I'm telling you! I _totally _had the situation under control!" Jadeite said at almost a shout.

"Sure you did, honey," Zoicite yawned inattentively.

"I did! I really did! And don't call me, 'honey'!" Jadeite bellowed.

Suddenly, Zoicite was right in front of him, giving him a seductive look. He ran a hand down Jadeite's face lovingly, a touch Jadeite recoiled from.

"What's the matter? Is your little ego wounded? Will a kiss make it better?"

"Hey, hey, hey! I am NOT Kunzite! You…you…. Just make sure you have another set-up by the 14th."

Zoicite held back a laugh watching Jadeite stutter and carry on.

"Relax, you know I'm one-man man," Zoicite said, flipping his hair. "I already have something else in the works. Speaking of which, I better make sure that Siren has been playing nice like instructed."

"Siren?!" Jadeite exclaimed incredulously. "You're getting on my case about using Succubae to lure men, and you're using a Siren?"

"Well, of course, silly," Zoicite replied, pinching Jadeite's cheek. "I'm copying you. It's obvious, wide spread, and easy to track, just like something you'd plan."

Jadeite turned red and puffed up angrily.

"The Celestial Warrior will come like hounds to the fox," Zoicite said sneakily.

"I'm ignoring you now," Jadeite said.

He turned to Nephrite.

"Hey, after our shift, want to go to the old haunt?" Jadeite asked.

Nephrite stood briskly, but did not respond.

"Nephrite?"

"I can't believe it," Nephrite muttered. "I never would have imagined…"

"What's up with you?" Jadeite asked.

Nephrite burst out into hysterical laughter. Jadeite and Zoicite exchanged confused looks and approached him.

"Brilliant! Fantastic!"

"What's brilliant?" Jadeite demanded.

Nephrite grabbed the phone off his desk and dialed a number quickly.

"This is Maxfield Stanton, patch me through to Line 0," he ordered.

After a moment, someone else picked up.

"This is Nephrite. Prepare another Tracking Crystal. I'll be by shortly to calibrate it."

With that, he hung up, grabbed his and coat, and headed for the door.

"Care to explain what's going on?" Jadeite asked impatiently.

"Elementary, my dear Jadeite," Nephrite answered. "The Seven Great Youma have been reborn into humans."

"Really? Which humans. We shall have them reawakened immediately! Where are they?" Jadeite said excitedly.

"The stars haven't revealed that information to me. Therefore," Nephrite said with a half-grin. "The hunt is afoot."

**A/N: **The reason Makoto and Ami's memory rewrites isn't working perfectly is because they're sleeping Celestial Warriors. On normal people, Memory Rewriting works flawlessly.

*=The manga's words, not mine.


	9. Chapter 8: Bonding

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the work. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

LoveInTheBattlefield, Tsukiyo Tenshi, and LadyArtemisMoon: Thank you for supporting me this far.

Drew L.: I'm just introducing the fact that they exist in advance. It always bugged me they didn't really give them much build up time before turning the Crane Game Guy into a monster. The same goes with the Outer Sensei.

SomeoftheFame: Again, thank you very, very much for taking the time to write up your review.

**Chapter 8**

**Bonding**

The rest of the week passed without further incident, allowing Usagi much needed rest from the continuous barrage of horrors The Dark Kingdom had subjected her to. She was able to get some training in with the Keepers. Makoto became healed of her wounds in days and the stitches were removed, much the doctor's surprise. Naru's mother was released five days in the hospital. At the moment, both were both staying with Miku.

Usagi was surrounded by a thick, gleaming fog, almost like tiny particles of crystal swirling around reflecting light making it painful to look around. She squinted through the brightness to try to see.

"Where am I?" she wondered. "It's like I'm just caught in some kind of endless mass of this stuff."

No matter where she looked or where she went, there was more of it. The loud tapping of the high heels she was now wearing for some reason clicked against the marble flooring. She looked down at her hands to find them glowing as well.

"What's this, and why am I in this white dress? It's like something a princess would wear," she wondered.

She could have laughed at that one. Then she heard a faint voice like the wind sighing, but couldn't make out the words. She looked about again and saw a vague figure running towards with an arm out-stretched. She turned to the person fully and as he drew nearer, she could begin to make out the form. It was a man with short black hair. He was dressed in dark blue clothing and had a long flowing black cape. He reminded her of Phantom Mask in many ways.

He was shouting something at her, but she could barely make it out.

"Who are you?" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Pr…ver…ne…" was all she could make out.

He was closer now and she could almost see him. His posture didn't seem threatening, but rather, he seemed concerned for her. He stopped just before he crossed the threshold where he'd be fully visible to her.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

He spoke again, but she could not make it out. She strained to hear him and inched closer to get a better look. He was like something from a memory. Though his face was still obscured, she could see him smiling at her. The next thing Usagi knew she was staring up at her bedroom ceiling.

"Eeeeew'kay, then," she mumbled.

She slowly sat up.

"Well, that was weird," she thought. "It felt so real, and who was that guy?"

There was a knocking at her door.

"Y-yeah," she called.

"Usagi, are you going to sleep the whole morning away," her mother asked.

"No, I'm up," Usagi called.

"Okay. Don't keep your friends you're meeting at the Game Crown waiting," Ikuko said.

"The Crown… Oh, right! Ami and Makoto," Usagi gasped.

She jumped out of bed and changed clothes quickly. She slipped into a casual yellow T-Shirt and a shin-length green skirt and then headed out. It was now Sunday, on the 12th of April, six days to the day she first donned the celestial gear. But today, she was going to meet up with Ami, Naru, and Makoto at The Crown. A few minutes later, she ran out the front door. She grabbed her bag on the way out.

"Goodbye, mom, dad, L-Megumi!"

"Seeya, kiddo," "Megumi" called back from the kitchen table.

"Don't forget, Usagi, your class has its first test this Friday," Ikuko called after her. "I'm expecting you to get some schoolwork done after you're done playing with your friends! Your textbooks are in your purse, so I better see some progress on them when you get home tonight!"

"But try to have a good time," Kenji called.

Ikuko turned and went back into the kitchen. "Megumi" currently sat at the dinner table next to Kenji eating some toast while reading the morning table.

"So your classes tomorrow, right?" Kenji asked, looking up from his own paper.

"Yep," Luna answered. "And I can't wait to get started."

"Oh, if only our Usagi shared that drive," Ikuko said. "More toast?"

"No, thanks, I'm good," Luna replied.

Luna turned back to the paper and flipped the page.

"Hmm. Mysterious disappearances at the Hikawa Shrine…rumors of a doom bus marked '666'. Seven teenage girls, possibly more, have disappeared shortly after they were seen departing the grounds of the shrine. The first incident happened on Thursday, followed by another on Saturday, yesterday. The head priest Hibiki Hino was held for questioning, but was released due to lack of evidence," she read. "The head priest's granddaughter, who works as a miko at the shrine, is also suspect, exhibiting hostile behavior towards the police following the head priest's detainment."

She turned the page immediately deciding that 'doom bus' required Keeper attention, after a few minutes, she found another strange article:

"Tennis player Katie Sandler from Springfield, Illinois, dies of unknown causes. The autopsy report wielded baffling results, as there appears to be no cause for her death at all. Both authorities and medical experts are at a loss of what to make of the puzzling demise. Witnesses note the victim began suffering inexplicably high stress levels and acted with intense aggression shortly before she collapsed. The young rising talent was set to compete in Japan this summer."

"Strange," Luna thought. "The tennis player is probably nothing, but this doom bus situation warrants a closer look."

* * *

"Naru! Ami! Mako!" Usagi yelled enthusiastically.

She had just run in the front door of the Game Crown to meet them.

"Hello, Usagi," Ami chimed.

"Hey, what took you?" Naru asked looking up from Beat 'Em Up she was playing.

"Yo," Mako said.

"Sorry, I overslept," Usagi said.

"Same old Usagi," Naru laughed.

"Hey, how's your mom?" Usagi asked her.

"Better. Miku's with her right now, so I can finally just take a break from all this."

"That's good to hear," Umino said from just behind Usagi.

She jumped, bumping into Makoto.

"Gah! Why'd you let him tag along?" Usagi demanded, annoyed.

"_Let him?" _Makoto asked. "It was more a case of we couldn't get rid of him!"

"Aw, don't talk like that, Mako," Umino said.

"For the last time, Umino, this is kind of a girl's day out," Naru said.

"So, you're saying I'm the odd man out?" Umino asked, disappointedly.

"Yes, on accounts of both the 'odd' and the 'man' parts," Naru replied.

"Aw, but I wanted to come," he said with disappointment.

"Another time, alright," Naru replied.

"Really?" he asked.

"Sure. Just not today, 'kay?"

"Well, alright," he replied.

With that, he left the girls alone, somewhat sadly.

"Geez, kinda clingy, isn't he?" Makoto said.

"Hey, girls," Motoki called over.

He approached as he usually did, only he was lacking his apron and had his gray jacket on.

"Hi, Motoki," came their responses.

"Hey, Motoki. Is your shift ending already?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah, I'm taking the afternoon off. I got someone to meet."

"Jerkface from the other day?" Usagi asked cynically.

"Mamoru? Well, yeah, him too," Motoki laughed.

Usagi snickered at the fact that she didn't even have to say his name before Motoki guessed it.

"Oh, man, Mamo, can't you ever make a _good_ first impression with people?" Motoki thought miserably.

"There's someone else?" Makoto asked.

"Yep. My girlfriend, Reika," Motoki replied.

"Girlfriend?" Usagi asked as if she'd just been slammed with a sledgehammer.

Motoki blinked at her reaction, completely oblivious to the reason.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

Usagi forced a smile and giggled a little too hard for it to be natural.

"Oh, nothing, so you're going to hang out with your best friend and girlfriend. That's great!" Usagi said with forced pleasantness.

"Actually, it's a double date," Motoki said.

"He has a girlfriend?" Usagi said, skeptically.

"No, actually," Motoki replied. "Reika and I are introducing him to a friend of Reika's."

"He doesn't have a girlfriend. What a surprise," Usagi asked dryly.

He looked at the foursome standing before him.

"Anyway," he said. "Should you girls be up and around already? I read about what happened. How are you all holding up?"

He sounded very concerned, looking them all over.

"Don't worry about us, Motoki. You just get out of here and enjoy your day," Makoto said. "We're all fine."

"Well, alright," he replied, shrugging.

He started to leave, but he stopped halfway out the door and faced them again.

"Hey, if you ever need to talk it out or anything, I'll be around," he offered.

"Sure. Thanks," Ami said.

With that, Motoki left.

"Oh, man," Usagi whined, almost crying. "He already has a girlfriend!"

"I told you. Don't get up your hopes with that guy…and you never made a move," Naru chided. "Besides, he's in college. He's probably been on dozens of dates!"

Usagi felt like she was falling through an endless abyss.

"Uh, did she just break?" Makoto asked, confused.

"I…don't know," Naru answered, taken aback.

Usagi just stood there with her head tilted to the side limply.

"Her pulse is fine," Ami said, letting go of her wrist.

"Hold on, girls. I know what to do," Naru said.

She whispered in Usagi's ear:

"Hey, we're going for burgers."

"Burgers?!" Usagi squealed in delight.

"I know a place," Naru told the others. "Katsuragi Burgers. It's about three blocks down."

"YAY!" Usagi cried.

"That just happened?" Makoto asked Ami.

"Indeed. Noted. The way to bring Usagi back from a catatonic episode is food," Ami replied.

* * *

Rei sat on the roof of her school, eating alone, her head resting in one hand. She took another absent bite of noodles from her bento with her mind lost in thought.

"How are they doing it? And why at our shrine?" she mulled it over. "Could it be an old enemy trying to ruin our reputation? It'd have to be a spirit my Grandpa or I forced out of a household."

Nothing else made any sense to her. Now she just had to establish the method. The victims disappeared after leaving the shrine, which meant that the damage wasn't being done until they left the grounds. She considered the possibility that Siggie was responsible for it, but she banished the thought. With so many unexplained things occurring all over the world these days, she could hardly blame one new apprentice that happened to show up shortly beforehand. But that didn't explain why she wasn't able to pinpoint the cause. Usually, by meditating, she'd be able to foresee danger. Now her prophecies just weren't working at all.

What's worse is that the police were suspicious of her grandfather because it was happening right at their shrine. Snap! Rei looked despondently at the chopsticks she had just broken with her fingers. The anger had surged through her at the memory of the police taking Grandpa away for questioning.

"Here," a voice said.

Rei looked up to see one of her usual girl posse offering her a pair of chopsticks.

"T-Thanks," Rei said, accepting them.

"Miss Rei, are you okay?" the other girl asked.

"Sorta. As well as I can be. You probably know all about it."

"I don't think you or your grandpa is responsible," the girl who'd handed her the chopsticks blurted.

Rei regarded the girl evenly, and then spoke.

"You'd be a first."

She tapped the ground next to her, motioning for the pair to join her. They both smiled widely and hurriedly plopped next to the raven.

* * *

"Hey, Mamoru," someone hollered.

Mamoru stopped and looked over his shoulder at the source. The other student was standing on the steps of the apartment building.

"Hey, we're meeting up to study in ten, and afterwards, pick up some chow," another student called. "Interested?"

"Not really," Mamoru answered uncaringly, turned, and walked away.

"Cold, bro," the guy said.

"Not your bro," Mamoru replied.

"Can you believe that guy?" he heard one of his classmates ask before he left earshot.

He turned the corner and passed by a scruffy man in a wrinkled gray business suit.

"Being your usual charming self, I see," the man said.

Mamoru stopped and gave him a sidelong glance.

"You have news?" Mamoru asked.

"Right to the point, as always," the man replied, disarmingly. "Why yes, I do have good tidings of joy."

Mamoru looked at him fully.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"Dr. Mizuno," the receptionist's voice cracked over the intercom.

"I'm here, Karin. What is it?"

"Inspector Wakagi and an officer Aoba are here," the receptionist's voice buzzed over the intercom.

"Right on time. Thank you, Karin. Send them in," Saeko Mizuno answered.

Mizuno greeted them at the electronic sliding doors of the facility.

"Inspector. Officer. Welcome, the specimen is right this way."

"Good morning, Doctor," Wakagi replied. "I trust you've secured it based on information provided from…that _other_ incident. I hope I brought it in undamaged enough. With that mettlesome Ishida around, I only had a fifteen minute window to get it out there before whoever he works for made off with it."

"Don't worry, Inspector. You did a good job in transporting the specimen. The Superintendent, you, Officer, Aoba, and my crew are the only people who know this thing is here. Follow me. I'll show you," Mizuno reassured. "I don't think you need to worry, though, this one's been staying dead for days now."

"Good," Wakagi said. "It better."

He checked his sidearm and then kept his hand on it.

They came to a huge vault door with all manner of security implements to get past. They waited patiently while she went through the motions opening the door, handprint, eye scan, a security code, and voice activation.

"Is this…youma, I guess, you brought in really as bad as they say it is?" Aoba asked.

"Oh yeah," Wakagi answered plainly. "We've seen them all shapes and sizes lately. The whole world's gone nuts, I tell ya."

The door slowly opened by itself revealing an autopsy room with a gurney in the center. All manner of equipment far more advanced than what you'd find in a typical morgue were all around. Mizuno led them inside. The body on the slab was a covered by a white sheet. The three crowded around it. Mizuno pulled it back. While Wakagi remained more or less calm upon seeing the remains of Morga, but Aoba had to turn away at first to keep control of her gag reflex.

"That celestial warrior chick sure did a number of this one," Wakagi muttered. "Are these arms?"

"Oh…_my God_," Aoba said, still trying not to puke. "Are those…_legs_?"

"Yes and yes," Mizuno replied.

"Alright, so what happened to it?" Wakagi asked.

"Well, we're unsure which wound came first. Either the head was removed first, or the arms were. Afterwards, the head sprouted legs and a flesh-like bag inside its neck which had newly formed copies of its vitals inside keeping it alive, albeit smaller, but there were growing. There was even bone forming inside it. This thing would have grown itself a new body had it been allowed. Its cellular reproduction was off the charts. As you can see, death was caused by a pair of stabs to its brain.

"As for the body, it was definitely somehow still functioning after separation. See all these odd tentacle-like limbs protruding from random places, and this one right here. Yes, this one. You see, its growing partially over where the head once was. A defense mechanism if I had to guess. As for the arms: Over here are the arm bones. We found them retracted into it torso. The hands still had their phalanges, though. The skin is extremely expandable and was tricky to cut. It was likely wielding its arms like whips. It's almost a shame its killers didn't wait a little longer. I would have loved to have a second specimen body to examine," Mizuno finished.

Wakagi gave her an odd look. Aoba just looked ill.

"As for its place of origin, well…," Mizuno said. "We don't know. We found some tissue samples in its stomach, and we have processed them. That's where things start to get weird."

Wakagi's brow raised in response to that, oh this he had to hear.

"_Starts_ getting weird…?" Aoba asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," Dr. Mizuno replied calmly. "In its stomach we found what we were barely able to identify as the remains of a ringed seal."

"The ringed seal," Aoba gasped. "As in…The North Pole?"

"Very good," Dr. Mizuno congratulated her.

"Oh, I just watch a lot of nature shows," Aoba replied with a giggle.

"So The North Pole," Wakagi said. "That's not exactly close to Japan, so it looks like we got some more zoos to call."

"What else can you tell us about this thing, Doctor?" Aoba asked.

"Very little," she replied. "Everything about this creature should be impossible. We've conducted the most methodical autopsy we can and we're just scratching the surface. The organs are so alien they're difficult to identify. Its system is unlike any organism known to man. We're still in the process of mapping its cardiovascular system. Its blood is an unknown substance we've never even seen before. Its blood _fried _our equipment when we tried to have it analyzed. We're looking at a life form completely new to humankind's perception, unless you count fantasy and sci-fi."

Wakagi chuckled.

"Doctor, I think it's beyond any doubt that the lines between reality and the impossible are getting blurred, big time," he said.

* * *

"Not bad, but I'd have preferred the Mazzio's Pizza Diner," Makoto said. "So where to after we're done eating?"

"We could go to the library," Ami suggested.

The other three shot her sour looks in response.

"…Or not," she said, sheepishly.

The four of them were seated at a booth chowing down.

"How about we go to that new Ace Saijyo movie, _Seven Nights Hellbound_," Naru suggested.

"Oh yeah, that new action movie," Usagi said excitedly. "I've been _dying _to see it, oh, but mom doesn't like me seeing anything more violent than a Disney cartoon. But Ace is _so dreamy!_"

"Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt you," Naru replied while Usagi was in the midst of fangirling over Ace.

She turned to Makoto and Ami.

"You guys in?" she asked.

"Eh, sure, why not," Makoto shrugged. "But I'm not sure I can take that little pretty boy seriously as a rough and rumble mercenary like the commercials say he's playing. He's great on his show, _Phantom Ace_, but there he's more like superhero."

"Is this Ace guy is a big star or something?" Ami said, utterly clueless.

The three surprised looks she received seemed to indicate she was correct.

"How could you not know who Ace Saijyo is, he's like, the biggest new idol in Japan right now," Usagi cried.

How could Ami not have heard of him?

"Oh, really," Ami asked innocently.

"Yeah, bigger than B'z, Tube, The B.B. Queens, T-Bolan, Zard, Wands, and Field of View," Usagi clarified excitedly.

"Oh," Ami replied. "I'm afraid I don't know any of those artists. What kinds of music do their play?"

Usagi's jaw seemed to be on the verge dropping all the way to the tabletop while Naru and Makoto looked at her with amusement.

"Don't listen to much radio, huh?" Makoto asked, entertained by Usagi's befuddlement at Ami's cluelessness.

"Only for the weather broadcasts," Ami answered.

"So what kind of music does Ami listen to?" Naru asked, wryly.

"Well…" Ami said, putting a finger to her lip while looking up at the ceiling. "There's the work of Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky to name a few."

"I knew it," Naru said, knowingly. "Little Ami's a classical music lover."

"I find their work relaxing when I'm doing my homework," Ami said. "You listen to it, too, Naru?"

"Mostly at mom's store," Naru replied.

"So, what's this _Phantom Ace_ show about?" Ami asked Makoto.

"It's a superhero show about a guy who puts on a mask and tuxedo to fight crime," Makoto answered.

"That doesn't sound very practical. Wouldn't body armor make more sense?" Ami asked. "What does he fight with?"

"Cards and roses," Makoto said. "You're over-thinking it. Anyway, you in for a movie?"

"Sure."

"It starts in about an hour at the Watase Theater," Naru said. "It's about a ten minute walk from here, so we have plenty of time."

"Say, do you think Phantom Mask stole the idea for his name from Phantom Ace?" Usagi asked.

"Feh, they're nothing alike if you ask me," Makoto replied, turning up her nose. "Phantom Mask is just a thug who beats up other thugs."

Usagi didn't reply. So far, though his behavior was curt, he definitely had higher ambitions than just being a jewel thief. She began to ponder who Phantom Mask really was and what he was really after.

* * *

The door rang as Mamoru entered the Chinese restaurant.

"There he is," Motoki welcomed. "And you're only six minutes late this time."

They were sitting at a table. Motoki and Reika sat next to each other on one side, and Yu was sitting across from them next to a vacant chair meant for Mamoru.

"Yeah, yeah," Mamoru replied sourly. "Sorry, it took me a while to break away and get here."

His demeanor and tone changed completely when his eyes fell on Yu.

"And this pretty little flower must be Yu."

The young woman seated in the chair next to his stood as he approached.

"And you must be Mamoru Chiba," she replied.

Mamoru smiled and extended his hand seemingly to shake hers'. She accepted, and instead, he bent down and kissed her hand.

"Oh, my," she blushed.

"Yu Kurasawa, I don't suppose you'd like to have a meal with a boorish fellow like myself?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied, easily.

Motoki breathed a sigh in relief as Mamoru conducted himself like a gentleman, for once. He and Reika exchanged looks, hoping this meant they'd found a winning match-up.

Mamoru sat down at last and picked up his menu.

"Reika told me you're major is anthropology," Mamoru said to Yu. "Are there any particular peoples you're studying right now?"

He turned to her and kept his eyes focused on her eyes.

"I'm specializing in social anthropology, uh, musicology, to be exact," she answered. "Right now, I'm writing a paper on Mozart's influence on Rock-no-Roll."

"Awesome. I always thought it was strange that the two music sound so different, but when it comes down to it, they're so much alike," Mamoru replied.

"Exactly," Yu replied happily.

"Reika's already probably told you I'm majoring in political sciences. Well, I also definitely love music," Mamoru grinned.

Mamoru and Yu kept up their chat after ordering. They decided to go with the buffet and left Motoki and Reika waiting for their own order.

"Finally, a girl he has something in common with," Reika said, sounding relieved. "I don't know why you kept bringing him on these. He's never gone on a second date with any of the girls you or I introduce him to."

Motoki remained silent, turning away from Reika slightly while trying to find the words.

"Is he really worth the trouble, I wonder?" Reika asked.

"Well, you know," Motoki said with hesitation. "He doesn't even have that many friends, let alone a girlfriend yet."

"And he doesn't really seem that interested in making any more than just you and maybe me," Reika said firmly.

"Reika…"

"Face it. The man is a lone wolf," Reika said. "You're more interested in him meeting new people than he is."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that…one of these days college is going to end and we're going to part ways and…he'll be left with no one," Motoki said solemnly.

"That'll be his own fault if he doesn't start letting someone _other_ than you in," Reika replied.

"Speaking of roomies," Motoki said. "Does Yu ever drive you up the wall with that _research _of hers'?"

"Sometimes, but at least it's nice music that she plays," Reika answered with light-heartedly.

* * *

"Geez, that guy can be annoying sometimes," Mamoru muttered as he and Yu stood in line.

"Who?" she asked.

"Motoki. The guy means well, but he just doesn't get it," Mamoru spoke slightly cross.

"Get what?"

He looked Yu square in the eye again.

"Yu, I can already tell that you're a great gal, but I'm just not interested in a relationship right now. It's nothing against you, I swear. But…I'm not ready for a girlfriend right now."

Disappointment registered in Yu's eyes.

"I see," she said.

"No hard feelings?"

She shrugged.

"I only just met you, but…" she trailed off.

"Why?"

She looked back at her.

"Wanna talk again, as friends? We can at least be that, right?"

Mamoru smiled.

"I'd like that."

* * *

"Oh, Motoki, it's beautiful," Reika absolutely gushed at the present Motoki had given her.

It was a coin necklace. Motoki held the now empty box he'd brought it in.

"Did you make this?" she asked. "It's wonderful."

She put on it, snapping it into place in the back.

"Oh, yeah," Motoki said with a laugh. "It took a few tries, though. You should see what became of the other coins."

She laughed and gave him a playful shove. Then she pulled him in for a kiss.

"I love it," she said.

"I gathered," he replied.

"Hey, there, lovebirds," Mamoru said.

"Ah! Mamoru, you're always so quiet," Reika exclaimed, having not heard his approach.

"Just light on my feet," he said mischievously.

He and Yu settled in, getting ready to eat.

"I was wondering when you were going to finish making that," Mamoru said, spotting the necklace.

* * *

"Oh, man, even Ami must think I'm a cut-rate dork," Umino said pitifully.

He kicked a pebble on the sidewalk as he walked along with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"I know! I'll do something to impress her," he said confidently.

Then doubt crept in and his shoulders slumped.

"Oh…right, I forgot to a moment. I'm _me_," he said hopelessly.

He hung his head and contemplated his situation on his walk. Then he came to a line of people waiting at the front of a store. He looked up from his contemplations for the first time and saw them and the store. The inside was lit so he was able to peer in. He found this odd, because he knew it was just an abandoned shop he passed everyday on the way to school and back. He looked up at the name, "Lady Peisinoe's Love Fortunes".

"Now how did they get this set up so quickly?" he thought, remembering what a state of decay it was in.

In fact, it had been condemned. Now, though, it looked like the whole place had been carted off and something else was there. While still an old red brick building, the front was very well-decorated with a radiant red awning and a highly decorated door. Inside, he could see it was decorated like the inside of a Greek palace. In the middle of the room was a table with a crystal ball and tarot cards set up. A beautiful young woman in her twenties sat across from a girl around Umino's age telling her a fortune. The girl seemed pleased. The woman's skin was pale and smooth-looking and she had her hair done in a Hime cut. In the middle of her forehead was a red dot like Umino had seen Indian royalty have.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and then shrugged.

"Why not? There's nothing for it," he said.

He stepped forward and into the long line. He had to be patient because some of the customers took a while, but he did eventually cross the threshold to the interior. He heard a 'ding' when he entered and was finally able to sit down.

"Good afternoon, young man, I'm Peisinoe. How can I help you today? Since this is opening day, we have a half-off sale on all fortunes."

"That's good, since I can't afford that much," he replied.

"Oh, my prices are very reasonable, so tell me, what is the occasion? Wanting to know if your love confession will be requited, hoping to find that special someone of your dreams or perhaps you seek simple love advice?"

"Well, I'd definitely like to impress this one girl, and maybe try to make this other one not hate so much," he said.

"Ah," Peisinoe replied. "Then I have just the thing to solve your woes if you'll listen."

"I'm all ears!"

She smiled, but something about it seemed off. She motioned for the crystal ball.

"We will consult the crystal ball for this one. Please gaze into it while I consult the spirits," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Think of the one you wish to be yours'," she instructed.

Umino thought of Ami, and the instant he did, he saw her visage in the crystal ball.

"Amazing," he breathed.

"Yes, it is," a voice within his head said.

"Huh? What," he asked mentally, so he found he could not move now suddenly.

"You will do whatever you desire," it said.

Umino felt his mind going into a haze.

"Do whatever you want. Be perfectly blunt with you words. Speak quietly or shout, whatever you desire, at work or play. It's entirely your choice. Now none govern you save me. So I bid you leave with this one command: spread the word."

When she was finished, Umino just sat there with a dumb expression on his face. She leaned in and whispered a single thing in his ear:

"Go."

Umino obeyed, leaving the establishment behind. The corners of Peisinoe's lips turned up in a crooked smile. Another sat down. She began her work on him as well.

* * *

"I thought it was funny that he only ever needed to reload that shotgun twice in the whole movie," Ami said as they exited the cinema.

"He was magically generating ammo," Makoto snickered.

"So yeah, I gotta be 'somewhere' tomorrow, Naru," Usagi said.

"Not a problem," Naru replied, getting her meaning.

"I think the bad guys graduated from the same Marksmanship Academy as the Storm Troopers," Naru heard Makoto tell Ami.

Naru looked at the pair still giggling about the movie's sillier aspects. They'd been doing it through the whole running time. Usagi, on the other hand, had been a little too distracted by the shirtless hunk during the finale.

"We probably better pick somewhere to go and get some studying done," Naru said.

"What?!," Usagi and Makoto cried unhappily.

"The class is having its first test this Friday and Makoto and I have both missed out on school," Naru explained. "Besides, Usa, your mom called my aunt to make sure I got reminded to do it."

"Ugh," Usagi moaned.

Naru looked at Usagi with genuine concern.

"And I know you probably need the help," she said.

"Her 'job' can't be leaving her too much time to keep up on school," Naru thought.

"I agree," Ami replied. "We've had all day to play, anyway."

"Aw, do we have to?" Usagi whined.

"_Yes_," Naru said insistently.

Usagi continued to carry on, but Naru ignored her.

"Right, so who's house?" Naru asked.

"We could go to mine," Makoto offered enthusiastically.

* * *

"Here we _herrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre_," Makoto practically sang, opening the door for them.

The other three followed her into the quaint little apartment, leaving their shoes at the door. They passed by a large Sailor V poster on the wall.

"Come on in. I'll whip you guys up some tea and something to eat in a jiff," Makoto said with elation.

"Someone's in a good mood," Usagi said.

"I rarely get guests over," Makoto replied. "We can set up at the table here in the living room. Let me get the tea heating. Be right back!"

They sat on their knees in the around the low table in the living and dug out their textbooks.

"Huh. I wonder where her parents are," Naru asked, finding the abode strangely silent apart from the sounds of Makoto shuffling around in the kitchen.

"Oh, that," Ami muttered. "Uh, well…"

Makoto came back in.

"It's alright, Ami," Makoto said.

She looked at Naru and Usagi.

"I live here alone. My parents are…gone. It was that big plane accident that took them."

"Oh, wow," Naru uttered, shocked. "Mako, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, are you alright living alone like this?" Usagi asked.

"I've been living like this for a year now," Makoto replied. "It's no big deal now, but…"

Makoto looked at the family photo on top of the TV. Her eyes turn sad.

"I sure do miss them when I'm alone in this place," she said somberly.

She shook it off and smiled at her guests.

"So, before we begin, what does everyone want?" she asked. "I can make just about anything!"

"I came prepared," Ami said.

She pulled a bento out of her bag and popped it open to reveal some sandwiches.

"We'll also just take sandwiches, Mako," Naru said.

"Just sandwiches?" Usagi complained.

"_Yes_," Naru said firmly.

"Oh, I can do better than that," Makoto replied. "How about some curry?"

Usagi's eyes lit up, but Ami spoke up first.

"Don't you think we'd better start cranking soon?" Ami asked.

"Okay, but I just want everyone to eat well," Makoto answered earnestly.

Naru and Ami both gave her a stern look.

Makoto sighed.

"Alright, sandwiches for Usagi, Naru and me it is," she said resignedly.

She disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Wow, this whole thing just screams déjà vu," Usagi thought.

She reached into her bag and felt the hilt.

"Alright, if we manage to have a full repeat, I've come prepared this time," she assured herself.

* * *

A young man stepped out onto the balcony of his apartment. He pulled his mask over his face. His cane rested on his shoulder as he looked out onto the night sky over Tokyo. He raised one arm so it was level, and his faithful hawk landed on it.

"You ready for this, kid?" the hawk spoke to him.

"What? Are you kidding me? I'm Phantom Mask," the young man replied.

The young man leapt over the railing into the night.

* * *

"I pray that my daughter Risa comes home to me soon."

_Clap. Clap._

Rei heard the parents praying outside and hesitated before pushing open the front doors of the shrine now changed into her miko attire. A middle aged woman ran up the steps towards, carrying her high heels in her hands.

"Rei! Re!" she called.

"Oh, Mrs. Aonuma," Rei greeted. "Is something wrong?"

Mrs. Aonuma stopped in front of Rei and bent over, wheezing. She looked up at the priestess and managed to speak.

"Mii! My daughter. Have you…seen her?"

"No, why has something happened to Mii?" Rei asked.

She prayed from the deepest parts of her soul that this was nothing. Mii wasn't even ten yet.

"Mii…she's missing. Never came…home. Said she was coming here after school."

"Oh, no. No," Rei's thoughts were of horror.

"Please, tell me you've seen her? I'm so worried," the girl's mother begged close to tears.

"I wasn't here yesterday," Rei replied quietly. "But Grandpa and Siggie were."

"It's the work of that 'Devil's 6 O'Clock bus', is what this is," a man that'd come to pray for his child said. "It had to be. If your daughter got on that bus, she's with all the rest."

"What about your sixth sense everyone is always talking about, Rei?" Mrs. Aonuma asked.

"It…wasn't been much help lately. I'm sorry," Rei said sympathetically.

Mrs. Aonuma stiffened, almost angrily, but then her stance deflated. She turned and started to depart without another word. So did several other parents, who were muttering amongst themselves.

"She isn't even going to extend that courtesy to us? Even though we came all the way to their shrine," she heard a woman vehemently whisper to her husband.

A father with a thick mustache and wide rimmed glasses stormed up her.

"So you can't help? Is that what you're saying," he demanded.

"You should probably just leave this to the police. My senses allow me to detect when a spirit has inhabited a house or building, but this is nothing of the short," she replied.

"Oh, come on, you're a shrine maiden," he said heatedly. "Or are you? Where is your grandfather, anyway? Does he even do any work as a priest around here? And all I've ever seen you do is chant your weird little prayers."

He stepped in close, menacingly.

"Are you people the ones responsible for our kids being spirited away?"

Rei stared up at him frostily.

"Go!" she said, no, ordered.

"Excuse me?"

"_GET OUT OF HERE_," she screamed up him.

He stepped back away from her. She then looked around at the resentful or grim faces of the other people visiting the shrine. She turned and ran back into the temple, pulling the front door shut behind her. Before she closed it all the way, she spotted Siggie at the shop selling more of the amulets, they were going like crazy.

"Hmm."

Then she closed them.

* * *

The sacred fire crackled and roared. Rei kneeled with her head bowed in front of it with her hands together in front.

"Concentrate," she instructed herself.

She went calm, serene even, entering into the meditative state. All her energy was focused on one thing.

"What will happen next? Where are the children disappearing to, and who is responsible? Is it Siggie?"

The door slid open behind her. Siggie sat on his knees while opening it.

"Miss Rei, your meal is ready," Siggie said.

Rei's focus was shattered and spun around to face.

"Leave me! I can't concentrate!" she shouted.

"Sorry, sorry," Siggie said, disarmingly. "Uh, I'll keep it warm until you can come."

He shut the door again, leaving her alone.

Rei faced the sacred flames again.

"He always acts so nice and laidback. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?" she asked herself.

She started the process over again. She saw nothing. Every now and again, she'd catch a glimpse of something, but it would come and go too quickly for her to make it out, just like the sensation of whatever was taking the children. Was someone keeping her sixth sense was working properly?

"Show me _something_," she willed silently. "Show me anything."

Then she saw it. She was almost surprised, considered that every other time she'd come up with nothing. In her vision, she saw an armored figured standing amidst a burning land with flames as far as the eye could see. She could barely tell the person was woman, but the armor was what she recognized the most. It was just like the gear of that celestial warrior she'd cooperated with. The figure held aloft a bow but had no quiver strapped to her back. She pulled the string back. An arrow of flame formed and she prepared to fire it.

But wait. A second figure appeared beside the woman, a man. He was also armed with a bow. He did have a quiver, from which he pulled a black arrow and notched it. He was dressed in some kind of leather armor and his face was hidden from her in the vision.

Then as one, the celestial maiden and the man fired their arrows at a common target. Then the flames covered her vision from seeing anything more. They extinguished and all was darkness once again. She didn't see anything more. She opened her eyes.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

* * *

Outside, a white cat and a black cat sat before the gate of the shrine looking up at the building.

"So now that's ten disappearances," Artemis said.

"Looks like," Luna confirmed.

"Is there any doubt?"

"Not really."

"Time to get to work, love."

"Agree, and don't call me love," Luna said, giving Artemis a light swat.

They entered the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine, passing under the circling crows above.

**A/N****: **Sorry for the lateness. Geez, eight chapters in and I'm just now getting down to developing Mamoru's character.

As you probably guessed, some aspects of Mina's story of her days as Sailor V will be bleeding into the main narrative of _Celestial Warrior Moon_. The last few chapters of _Codename: Sailor V_ happened during Usagi's early days as Sailor Moon, anyway. Phantom Ace is a somewhat Tuxedo Mask-like character from Sailor V. That, I did not know at the time I renamed Tuxedo Mask as _Phantom Mask_. Oops.


	10. Chapter 9: Jupiter, Daughter of Thunder

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Drew L.: You haven't seen anything yet. ;)

LoveInTheBattlefield: I will.

Poopsicle: Thank you. I'll get to them as soon as I can. And thank you for the review.

TsukiyoTenshi: As always, thank you.

AM: Thank you very much. I'm not a fan of OCs, either. They always seem to upstage canon characters, which is something I'm being very strict about avoiding. It's very gratifying to see I've impressed someone else that's not a fan of original characters in fanfiction.

**Chapter 9**

**Jupiter, Daughter of Thunder**

Peisinoe pulled the grating shut over the shop for the night. When she stood again, she became aware of a presence behind her.

"Lord Ziocite," she identified the person.

"Evening, Peisinoe," he said. "Oh, you have a way with men that will never cease in impress me. How do you do it?"

"Womanly wiles, master."

She faced him.

"But you didn't come here to talk about that."

"So direct for someone who likes playing games," Zoicite teased.

"Well, all play and no work makes Peisinoe a lazy girl," she replied.

Zoicite chuckled.

"Fair enough."

Then his expression and tone become more serious.

"Don't get yourself killed," he said. "You already know that it won't be long before the Keepers and that girl pick up the scent. I'm sending you backup. They're just low level expendables so feel free to throw them to the wolves, so to speak. You just make sure _you_ get out. Your sisters trust me with your safety, after all."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared," she smiled.

* * *

"So, everything?" Jadeite asked.

"Everything," his assistant, Aqua, replied.

They stood in a raided warehouse. Metal containers that had been holding jewels had been broken into and emptied. The men that were transporting them were all behind bars and the precious gems were in the custody of the police.

"But police records show that none of the jewels were withheld by the masked one, so none of them could have been Silver Crystal," Aqua put in.

"So he remains no closer to our goal than us," Jadeite muttered.

He sighed. The trap hadn't worked. He'd put so much thought in laying the bait and thinking of how to detain Mask. The building had been sealed airtight the instant his men knew something was wrong. How had it gone wrong? He turned to his blue-skinned assistant.

"New plan," he said. "Next time there will be no real gems shipped. Get in touch with your fellow Atlantians. We'll do this by the docks. He'll never stand a chance against your lot."

"Yes, sir," she replied.

At once, her hair and skinned changed from their normal blue coloring to that of a human woman with long brown hair. The gills on either side of her neck disappeared as well. She left him alone in the building.

"Thousands of precious diamonds shipped and examined. Not a single lead. What are we missing?" Jadeite pondered.

* * *

April 13th, Monday. The evening at Makoto's house came and went peacefully. No monsters, instead just plain boring learning. The following the morning came and Usagi was late for class.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man," she mumbled frantically.

She dashed down the hall towards her classroom. Right about then, Miss Haruna would be taking roll call.

"I can't believe this! Man, and I even had another dream about that mystery man. Why?" she wondered.

She cracked the door open a pinch.

"Gurio Umino," she heard Haruna called.

"Hey," Came an oddly relaxed response from Umino.

"Um. Kenji Oota."

"Here."

Usagi quietly opened it just enough to slip in on hands and knees and closed it again. She began to creep through between the rows to her seat. Students looked at her either with confusion, amusement, or annoyance as she passed between them. She motioned for them to stay silent.

"Ta-," Haruna stopped, spotting Usagi. "Takayuki Kamikawa."

"Here."

"Usagi," Umino called out to her, standing up.

"Dolt," Usagi hissed under her breath.

She glared over at him, but noticed something odd at once. He was wearing an odd light blue fancy suit instead of the issued school uniform.

"Usagi, go stand out in the hall, and Umino, go with her," Haruna ordered.

A few minutes later, Usagi was in her usual place by the school door for the first portion of class. Only this time, she had company. Umino stood next to her with his hands shoves into his pockets.

"So, Umino, what's up with the suit," she asked.

He turned to her suddenly.

"Usagi, let's go on a date," he said directly.

She looked at him, caught off guard by the request. By now, he was leaning against the wall like someone who thought he was cool.

"Is something wrong," she asked, curiously.

"Like what," he replied lightly.

"Well, why did you come to school dressed like that," she asked, eyeing his attire.

"Oh, this? Who cares, other than Miss Haruna? Come on, let's go on a date today," he said.

The forwardness of his approach was making her very uncomfortable. She swallowed and began to grind her teeth against her lower lip.

"You know…" she said hesitantly. "You're sure brave all of a sudden. What happened yesterday after you ran off that's made you do this?"

Umino was about to answer, but Haruna opened the classroom door.

"Alright, Usagi, you can come on in, but you and I, Umino, are going to have some words over that outfit after class," she said, sternly.

"Heh," Umino laughed uncaringly.

Usagi stared at Umino in disbelief was she walked past the teacher into the classroom. Did he just laugh at Miss Haruna?

"Watch the tone, young man," Haruna warned. "You're in for it enough as is."

By now, the entire class was watching the exchange.

"Just what were you thinking showing up to school dressed like that," Haruna demanded.

Umino ignored her and started to walk past without heed.

"I was thinking this," he said suddenly and flipped up her skirt to the entire class.

Haruna gasped and flushed in embarrassed, pulling it back down as quickly as she could. Several students were covering their faces either out of their own embarrassment or they were slapping their foreheads at Umino's stupidity. Others gawked, but said nothing. Oh boy, he'd done it now! Umino started laughing maliciously as he walked past.

Naru and Usagi were shaken by his behavior. Never had he been known to act like this in all the years they'd known him. Ami was also at a loss. Makoto glared at him contemptuously.

"Why, you little…" she rasped.

Smugness radiated off the smile he wore now as he walked towards his seat.

"And just where do you think you're going, your little delinquent?" Haruna stomped after him. "You are _so _getting detention and a _whole _other world of punishments if you don't get back here _this instant_!"

As she passed between two rows of students a foot planted itself right in her path. The culprit successfully tripped her up causing her to fall forward. She let out a little cry and she fell flat on her stomach. If the most of the students had been agape before, they were fast becoming mortified. Usagi and Naru exchanged puzzled and disconcerted glances.

Makoto had shot up from her seat. Haruna knew it was no accident and quivered in anger on the floor for a moment before pushing herself up onto hands and knees. She turned herself over and looked up at the sneering boy that'd done it.

"You too, Yuuji," she asked in stunned anger. "Just what do you boys think you're…"

"Ms. Haruna, you're supposed to walk quietly in the homeroom," Yuuji mocked.

"What did you say," she shouted.

Yuuji was suddenly yanked from his seat by the collar of his uniform and pulled sharply around. It was Makoto.

"Hey, whoa, what gives, Kino?" Yuuji shouted. "It was just a bit of fun!"

"You jerks! Just what the hell do you think you're…?!" she bellowed.

"Ms. Kino, drop him this instant and get back to your seat," Haruna commanded.

Makoto looked over at the homeroom teacher questioningly.

"But…"

"Do as you say! I appreciate the sentiment, but _I_ am the teacher here, and I'll deal with them," she spoke with authority.

Makoto shot the boy another scornful look, but complied. Haruna got up and was about to punish the boy. Umino's condescending laughter broke out again from behind, making her whirl around towards the source. Haruna firmed her jaw in a stern frown, and controlled her breathing in deep breaths.

"Alright, boys, since you're going to be disruptive and I can't trust you not to just walk away if I have you stand out in the hall, it looks like the three of us are going to have a little trip to the principal's office," she said.

Later, after class

Usagi, Naru, Makoto, and Ami met out in the school backyard with a few other friends.

"What was that," Naru exclaimed, mystified and upset.

"I don't get it, Yuuji is usually such a quiet guy," Usagi added. "And Umino couldn't swat a gnat to save his life. Do you think this is a boy thing or something?"

"Or something," Makoto said incredulously. "I'd like to know when a geek and a quiet guy turn into the class punks."

"At first, I thought it might have just been Umino acting out for the rejection yesterday," Ami said. "But if this Yuuji is usually well-behaved as well…"

"I saw those guys both at The House of Fortune yesterday and they seemed fine then," one of Usagi's friends said.

"House of Fortune," Usagi blinked.

"Yeah, it's a new love fortunes place that opened up on Main Street," the other girl answered.

"Hey, I've been there, too!"

"So have I!"

Usagi wondered if that had something to do with it, but it couldn't be. All these girls had been acting normally all day. It was just the boys.

**CRASH!** The sound of glass shattering startled the girls making them jump. They looked over towards where it came from. They saw nothing amiss in that yard, so it had to be coming from the side of the building. Usagi, Naru, Makoto, and Ami raced around the corner to get a look. A group of boys had crowded near a broken classroom window and leading them was Umino. He was tossing a rock up and down, catching it each time.

A teacher swung open the window looking furious.

"Hey, you kids! What do you think you're thinking?!" he yelled.

They responded by throwing more rocks, forcing the teacher to retreat from the window.

"For a teacher, you sure aren't that smart, ha ha!" Umino chortled at him.

"Stop acting like you're better than me!" Yuuji shouted, too.

"Let's do it," one of the other boys shouted.

They all began picking up rocks and throwing them through the windows, laughing merrily all the way. Makoto bristled while watching them. She clenched her fists tightly, her temper starting to get the better of her.

"That tears it," Makoto shouted.

She raced right at the group.

"Whoa, hey, wait," Usagi shouted.

She took off after Makoto with Naru and Ami in tow. One of the boys noticed Makoto charging them and aimed one right at her. She ducked it, but the landed right at Usagi's feet. She slid to a stop, almost falling over.

"Hey, watch it," the blonde cried.

Makoto was on the boys a little too quickly for them to do anything else. With a few well-aimed disarming strikes, all the rocks were knocked or wrenched from their arms. The boys were left holding slightly sore and bruising wrists.

"_Wha_t is your _deal_?!" Makoto roared.

"Hey, Mako," Umino said as if greeting a friend.

"Don't 'hey, Mako' me," Makoto snapped.

His hand reached for hers', but she batted it away.

"Don't touch me!" she rebuked bitingly.

He didn't seem to hear her. In fact, she walked right past over to Ami, raised the books she was carrying up until they covered the lower half of her face.

"Wanna kiss, Ami?" he asked. "We could just get out of here right now. What do ya say?"

He reached to place his hands on her shoulders, but she recoiled from him and hid behind Naru.

"I don't like you like this!" Usagi cried. "Umino, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you better come to your senses. Like any of us would go anywhere near you after what I just saw you do!"

"What?! That was just a bit of fun!" Umino insisted.

"Fun?!" Naru cried. "You could have seriously hurt Mr. Ibuki just now!"

"I… well…" Umino suddenly clutched his head like it pained him.

Makoto took this opportunity to butt in, jumping between the other two girls and him.

"I don't like you," she said vehemently. "I thought you were just some attention-starved nerd, but I was wrong. A real creep is what you are. Seriously, you're taking what happened yesterday out on the whole school, and you've recruited some help. You know what? _Creep_ is too good for you. More like a joke. You are a joke, Umino, and not a funny one, either."

That seemed to get through. He looked away almost like he was beginning to sober up, but then his eyes to bitter and hateful. He put his hands in his pockets and turned away.

"Come on, guys. Let's get out of here, this isn't fun anymore," he said.

With that, the gang took a walk, leaving the four girls behind.

"Yikes, Mako," Naru said.

Makoto huffed and walked back to the other three.

"Man, are all boys the same in every school?" she asked wearily.

"Umino's not like this, honest," Naru insisted.

She looked worriedly back at the departing former nerd-turned-bully.

"He might be a nosy gossip hem, er, rooster, but this isn't him," Naru finished softly.

"House of Fortune," Usagi repeated.

"Target acquired," the blonde thought.

"They just left the grounds," Ami said.

"Pff. What could they be thinking?" Makoto, asked.

She knew she must sound like a broken record.

"Does anyone know where I can find this House of Fortune?" Usagi asked.

"Huh?" The others uttered their confused response.

Then Naru realized why her friend needed to know.

"No, but I can find out easily enough," Naru offered.

"Hey, Ami, you okay?" Usagi asked.

Ami still looked flustered from being hit on.

* * *

Luna and Artemis sat on a bench in Amishiro Park, waiting for Usagi. Luna checked her watch. Still a few minutes until the girl was supposed to show up.

"Are you kidding? Would-be Grooms are vanishing off the street now?" Luna exclaimed.

Artemis shrugged.

"Well, the rumor mill has it that a haunted bridal shop is snatching up the man of any woman who gets fitted for a bridal gown there," Artemis replied.

"What are they up to? This isn't normal activity for The Dark Kingdom," Luna said.

She considered all the recent events and couldn't come up with a rhyme or reason for them. She checked her watch again.

"Think she'll actually be on time today?" Artemis asked, dully.

"You never know. Have you spoken to the Hino girl yet?"

"Yeah, she's a clueless as the rest of us."

"How could we have let this slip under our radar, though, Artemis? We're keeping a tight lookout for Dark Kingdom activity and they pull this on us? We don't even know the source yet."

"That's why Usagi's heading to the Shrine for us to scope it out," Artemis said. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Her unmasked face is the only one not numero uno on their hit list."

"Megumi! Inspector Ishida!" they heard Usagi call their names.

"Right on time," Luna said with astonishment.

Usagi stopped in front of them. She was gasping for air, making it clear she'd run the entire way over.

"Trouble…" the girl blurted out.

"Huh?" they both blinked.

She told them what had happened at school that day and about this "House of Fortune" that all the misbehaving boys seemed to have attended.

"I got the street address for the store right here," Usagi said.

She held out a piece of paper, which Luna accepted. She unfolded and it read.

"Peisinoe's…oh, they have got to be kidding me! Now I _know_ they're just messing with us," Luna scowled.

"Peisinoe?" Artemis said.

He took the paper slip from Luna and read it, himself.

"Peisinoe's House of Fortune," he read out loud.

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked.

Luna looked Usagi right on.

"Peisinoe is a Siren. In fact, she's one of _the _Sirens that Odysseus's crew encountered on their voyage home from Troy," she explained.

"Who're Odysseus and Troy? And what's a Siren?" Usagi asked.

"Knew that was coming," Artemis muttered. "Read a book, girl."

"Books are boring. Can't you just tell me?"

"Well, Troy and Odysseus, even in summery are very long stories, apiece," Luna explained. "A Siren is a female sea monster with a voice that controls the minds of men when they sing. They mostly use it to kill whatever men they ensnare and steal their life energy for nourishment."

"They can also use it for others purposes," Artemis said.

"So that's why the boys went nuts all of a sudden. They're being controlled by her," Usagi exclaimed as realization struck her.

"But why?" she then asked, confusion taking over.

"Good, nice boys suddenly acting violently with no regard to authority will draw attention. _Our_ attention," Luna said.

"It's a trap and they're not afraid to let us know it," Artemis said gravely. "They know we couldn't stay away even if we wanted."

"We'll go there tonight," Luna said. "When there won't be so much _male_ company."

She turned to Artemis.

"I hope you don't mind sitting this one out."

"I have to. I don't even know if we have any Anti-Siren Earplugs in stock right now," Artemis replied.

"You mean you guy aren't totally prepared for this?" Usagi asked flatly.

"It's been _so long_ since anyone's encountered the Sirens that they were thought to be dwelling deep under the ocean," Luna answered. "Come on, we have some preparing to do for tonight."

Luna got up, took Usagi by the hand, and led her away.

"Wait! If they know we're coming, there'll be more than just that Peisi…Paisi…"

"Peisinoe," Luna corrected.

"More than that Peisinoe lady waiting for us," Usagi finished. "What about the other celestial warriors you told me about? You said I'd be joined by others just like me."

"Yes, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter," Luna said.

"Well, now seems like as good as any time," Usagi said urgently. "And aren't there four other planets in the solar system? What about them?"

"Information regarding the warriors of the Outer Planets has been lost to us for a very long. In any case, the warriors of the Inner Planets were as the Moon Princess's bodyguards and main personal attack force. We don't have any confirmed sleeping warriors yet," Luna replied. "Just candidates."

"Well, try someone out," Usagi cried.

"We could do that all day and not accomplish anything. We take this 'house of fortune' down tonight," Luna countered. "We _are_ getting backup, though. Count on it!"

Luna sighed.

"How are we going to break the Siren's spell?" Usagi asked.

"We kill her or at least wound her," Luna replied. "Her hold over the boys breaks, and the tomorrow you will have a bunch of embarrassed male classmates."

"Oh yeah, didn't you call me here about something else?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, there was a shrine I wanted you to check out for us, but that will have to wait," Luna replied. "There's also business with a haunted bridal shop we will be attending to."

"Oh, man," Usagi whined. "Can I start getting paid for this?"

"No."

* * *

"Alright, uniform, safety gear, towel. I'm good to go to the dojo," Makoto thought.

She zipped up the duffle bag, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.

"I hope we get to wail on the punching bag tonight. I could really let off some steam right now," she thought.

She left the apartment and headed into the downtown area on her way to the dojo. She whistled while she walked. Soon, she came upon a sizable crowd out of people lined up on the sidewalk. She glanced up at the sign. It was that new shop Usagi seemed to think was responsible for the boys' behavior at school earlier. She passed by the store front, glancing in as she went. The Fortune Teller was laying out some tarot cards for a pair of girls. She went into the alley just to the store's left to take the shortcut. The temperature seemed to drop 20 degrees Celsius, and Makoto shivered.

"Whoa! Br! Arctic blasts. Did someone leave one of those big freezers open or something?"

She ignored the cold and went on until she noticed a horrid smell. She wrinkled her nose. It was like something decaying. She plugged her nose and kept going. She was almost up to the dumpster near a door that probably went into the fortune teller's shop. The door suddenly opened and the smell worsened. She slowed her pace and peered inside. A man in filthy overalls stood with his back to the door. He looked over his shoulder out into the alley. His eyes fell on her. Something about his eyes made her stop. His pupils and irises were both a little too dark, and the way he regarded her like one might an animal was also disconcerting. He was tall, lanky, pale, and obvious unshaved and unkempt. Grime covered his clothes and face.

"All clear?" she heard someone inside ask.

"Mostly. Just some child," the lanky one replied.

It was then she realized he was carrying something as he backed out into alley. A man of similar build and state was carrying the other end of a large smelling black bag. Makoto wondered what they could possibly have in it that was almost six feet long and about three wide. The other fellow didn't have a solid grip.

"Hey, hey, I told you! Get both hands under him!" the first shouted.

"Him?" Makoto asked, alarmed.

The second man lost his grip and the bag dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. A part of the plastic busted and a pale human are hung out. It was the smell of death. Both men slowly turned to her.

"Oh. You shouldn't have seen that," the first spoke.

They advanced on her with their gangly arms out-stretched. For a moment, Makoto was tempted to just beat these guys up she would any ordinary punk. But there was something unnatural about the way they moved just wasn't quite right. Instead of walking like a normal person, they shuffled around and their out-stretched arms were too stiff. The flesh on their faces seemed to just be hanging there. And they were moving a rotting corpse. Their eyes could be described as 'dead eyes'.

She thought better of the notion and turned to run, but instead of a clear way out, there stood Zoicite, instead.

"Oh dear, now this is a pickle," Zoicite said.

Makoto's expression intensified with grit. She lunged him shoulder first, but he floated out of the way. She struck out at him several times with her palms and missed every time. She tried to a hook kick, which made him fly up. She paused in astonishment for just a second, but then used the opening to run for it.

"Oh, no, you don't," Zoicite swooped in after her.

Makoto spun around and threw something at him. Instinctively, he maneuvered out of the way, right into a karate chop to the face. He bounced off the brick wall and plopped onto the concrete ground. He heard her feet patter away back into the busy street where she'd come from. He stared after her venomously. He saw one of the workers offering him a hand out of the corner of his eye. He batted them away.

"Don't touch me, you filthy idiots! Grab the package and get out, now!"

Makoto spotted a squad car parked outside of a diner and ran in. They were setting at the bar near the door.

"Excuse me, officers," she spoke breathlessly. "Some men were moving a dead body in a bag in an alley not far from here! They tried to kill me!"

"Looks like we're back on-duty," the older officer said.

He left some yen on the table to pay their bill and off they followed Makoto.

"It's right here. The poor man's white as a bed sheet," Makoto said as they rounded the corner.

She stopped as soon as they came up to the alley. There was no sign of the body bag, odd weird, or that flying man. In fact, even the temperature had returned to normal.

"Ma'am, is this some kind of joke," the younger officer asked, impatiently.

Makoto turned to them looking shocked and a little angry.

"I swear it was _here_! It was _right here_!" she insisted. "Whoever they were must have moved it! But _there_ _was_ a dead man right here! They came through that door! Please, I wouldn't make this up!"

The two cops exchanged uncertain looks. Disappearing corpses definitely wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen in the last six months.

"Ma'am, if you don't have any proof that a crime was committed here, I'm afraid you don't have a case," Older said.

"Want me to call it in?" Younger asked.

"No, let's just go," Older ordered.

"Can't you at least ask the store own some questions?" Makoto begged.

The two looked at her, then each other. The older of the two gave a nod and went back to the store front. Makoto hurried after them. Peisinoe's latest customer passed them on the way out. The fortune teller smiled pleasantly at them.

"Officers, what seems to be the matter?" Peisinoe asked innocently.

"Ma'am, have you seen anything strange happening in your store? This young woman here claims she saw three men hauling a dead body out of the back. We'd like to ask permission to search the back room beyond that door."

Peisinoe smiled again.

"Hmm. Let me think," she replied.

She opened her mouth and the room was filled with the song of her wail. The men's faces went blank as they listened. This left Makoto bemused.

"Why is she singing?" she thought.

"Everything is in order," she said.

"Everything is in order," the cops replied as one.

"What?" Makoto asked, in utter disbelief.

"You'll be on your way," Peisinoe said.

With that, both officers returned to normal. They blinked and shook off the dizziness.

"Thank you for your cooperation, ma'am," they said.

"What?! What cooperation? She didn't do anything but sing at you!" Makoto cried.

The older cop stepped in close with an authoritative look on his face.

"Now that'll be enough out of you, little missy," he scolded. "It was bad enough that you tried pranking us and this woman with the whole 'dead body' bit, but this is the last straw."

"But…" Makoto began.

"Enough! We're going to let this go, this time, because you're just a kid. Anymore, and you're coming with us to the station."

Makoto stood there babbling, but not forming any actual words for several moments. She cast an icy glare Peisinoe's way. In the end, her shoulders went limp and she backed off.

"Yes, officers."

"Good. We're out of here. Come on."

They left, escorting Makoto out with them. She looked back at the owner of the store one more time. Now she knew that's what had gone wrong with all the boys that'd gone to that shop. That woman was a witch of some kind that'd cast her spell on them, which meant Umino hadn't turned into a punk.

"Do come again," Peisinoe called after them.

The officers went back to their shift, leaving Makoto alone on the sidewalk outside. She decided at once to that'd she return. She noted the closing time before heading off.

* * *

A short while later another male customer entered the House of Fortune. It was a handsome young man with short blonde hair.

"Well, hello," he flirted. "No wonder you're such an expert on love. There's no way a beauty like you couldn't be."

"Why, thank you. You're too kind," Peisinoe replied. "So what kind of fortune would you like today."

"I've always believed in fate, so what the heck. Let's see my destiny," he responded.

"Then we shall consult the crystal ball," Peisinoe said. "Look into it and think of your love destiny. It will show you what you need to know."

The young man obeyed. Peisinoe's magic went right to work.

"You will do whatever you desire," she commanded said. "Do whatever you want. Be perfectly blunt with you words. Speak quietly or shout, whatever you desire, at work or play. It's entirely your choice. Now none govern you save me. So I bid you leave with this one command: spread the word. Now go."

He stood and left. As soon as he was out of view, he stopped and pulled something from his pocket. It flipped a small device he held open and pressed a few buttons and put it to his ear.

"This is Haruka. It's exactly as we thought. Your orders?" the young 'man' said.

"Be on standby. Don't go any further than a block from the building unless told otherwise." Luna answered.

"Understood," Haruka replied.

* * *

"7:30. She'll be closing up shop soon. Okay, okay, I am totally ready for this," Usagi said nervously as she paced in circles.

"Calm down," Naru said. "You've done this before, right?"

"Yeah," Usagi replied, fearfully. "I always end up with some big, scary monster trying to take my face off!"

"Sorry," Naru said, guiltily.

"No, I'm sorry," Usagi said. "I'm just…I'm just…"

"Scared," Naru finished for her.

"Yeah…" Usagi said with a sigh.

They both looked around the corner at the House of Fortune. They were situated in a little alley out of sight.

"Usagi, have you arrived yet?" Luna's voice sounded in her earphone.

"Yeah," Usagi spoke into the speaker of the headset.

"Good. You and Haruka will be going in the front."

"What about you?" Usagi asked.

"I'll be breaking in through the back after monitoring the initial clash. Try to make Peisinoe play her hand as much as you can," Luna responded.

"Got it. Over," Usagi said.

She pulled the speaker away from her mouth and turned to Naru.

"Alright, you've got to leave now," Usagi told her. "If you don't hear from me by morning, well… It's been great having you as a friend."

"Don't talk like that! You'll make it," Naru said, desperately.

It was clear that Naru NEEDED to believe that.

"Thank, but they know I'm coming this time."

Usagi swallowed her courage and left the darkness of the alley. Naru also left. She walked down the sidewalk until she came to the alley where Makoto had her encounter. She also noted how cold it was.

"Geez, what the heck?" she whispered.

She in and could just see Luna waiting by the side entrance leading into the back of the house of fortune.

"Hey, Luna, what's up with the cold?" she asked over the radio.

"The Siren's doing," Luna answered. "It's always cold near where a Siren does her work."

"Oh."

Usagi sat on a bench nearby waiting for the go-ahead. She held the hilt and kept a firm grip on it. She glanced over and saw Haruka not far on the other side of the street. A samurai sword now hung from her pants belt.

"Do you think Phantom Mask will show up?" Usagi asked.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, actually," Luna's voice replied. "He's clever, but he's also a man. He'll be vulnerable to the Siren's voice. You may have to fight him if he falls under her spell."

"Great," Usagi muttered, unenthusiastically.

"Haruka, what is she doing right now?" she heard Luna ask over the channel.

"Mostly just tidying up," Haruka answered.

"Alright," Luna said.

Luna positioned herself against the wall next to the back door. She summoned her spear.

"I don't know what we're going to face in there," Luna spoke into the mouthpiece. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I can be," Usagi said.

The remainder of the half-hour seemed to take its sweet time passing. Haruka kept watch while casually wandering around the block remaining checked her wristwatch again. Less than ten minutes until closing time. She looked over at Usagi not far away.

* * *

Makoto took a deep breath. Just more one block and it'd be in sight.

"Alright, I go in, make her talk…somehow, and get out alive to call the cops…girl cops," Makoto whispered to herself. "…Okay, so I don't really have a plan."

She could see the House now. She saw a couple of people loitering about nearby. She'd hoped to have as few people as possible around, but people who just admitted that they were making this up as they go along can't be choosers.

* * *

"Alright, we're going into the shop now," Haruka reported.

She glanced over at a bus pulling over into a nearby stop when the headlights caught her eye, but she otherwise ignored it.

"Roger that," Luna replied. "Be cautious."

Usagi and Haruka were about to make their move when someone marched right past Haruka heading inside. She threw the House's door open.

"Mako?" Usagi barely managed to whisper.

"Luna, we have a problem," Haruka reported.

* * *

"Alright, you witchy…witch!" Makoto shouted at Peisinoe, determinedly. "You might be able to control boys, but not girls! So I'm here to make you confess your crimes!"

"A little melodramatic, aren't we?" Peisinoe answered, amused.

Makoto's frown deepened.

"Last chance," she warned.

Peisinoe yawned. That did it. Makoto marched right up to her.

* * *

"Damn! We _did not_ need this right now, get in there and take care of it, anyway!" Luna ordered.

"The hell…?" Haruka muttered.

"What? What!" Luna demanded.

"The boys from my classroom just got off the bus. They're heading inside now," Usagi cried.

She'd immediately recognized the faces of Umiino, Yuuji, and the others passing by, though they didn't seem to notice her. Umino was at the head of the line.

* * *

Makoto reached for Peisinoe, but the Siren was quick and leapt back impossibly high into the air. Makoto gasped. The sea monster reached into her sleeves and whipped out three glittering oval shaped objects in each hand. An enchantment formed around the storefront, replacing the truth with the image of a peaceful scene of Peisinoe closing up shop for the evening. The watchers out front immediately noted the change to Luna.

Peisinoe threw the objects at the Makoto, who dived headlong out of the way. They stuck into the marble flooring fast.

"Holy crap!" Makoto exclaimed.

Peisinoe landed and pulled off the purple dress she wore, revealing a body covered in scales silver fish scales. Her form was still that of a woman's, though. More scales appeared going up Peisinoe's neck and around the corners of her face, leaving that the only part of her that still looked human. Her hair turned silver as well. Her hands and toed became webbed and grew in length. Fins grew out of the center of her back and gills on either side of her neck would be made out. Peisinoe smiled, revealing still human-like teeth. Makoto gaped back. She stammered.

"Wha-wha…" she managed to get out.

"I'm a Siren, little girl," Peisinoe replied. "And when the Siren _sings_….man _obeys_!"

She opened her mouth far too wide for a human jaw's capacity and a piercing wail escaped her lips. Her throat moved, giving the sound a definite tune. The front door of the shop opened. Makoto looked her out-of-control classmates from earlier stepped in. The wailing ceased.

"Get her, boys!" Peisinoe ordered.

The boys smiled viciously as they closed in like a packs of wolves. Makoto grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah, right, I can take all these little wimps at once. Bring 'em on! I'm a black belt and I eat punks like these for breakfast!"

"Oh, really?" Peisinoe replied smugly. "You'd ruthlessly beat them even though they aren't even aware of their own actions?"

Makoto's anticipating smile faded. Teaching actual delinquents a lesson in manners was one thing, but these poor saps couldn't help what they doing. All the confidence and determination she had stormed in with vanished. Peisinoe laughed at her as she watched the girl's change in posture.

A blinding flash suddenly flooded the store as the door swung open again. All covered their eyes. Peisinoe looked between her fingers at the source. She smiled hollowly knowing what it was. As the light died, Makoto looked at the storefront and saw what looked like a _Saint Seiya _reject and that race car driver. This was a weird day for Makoto. The armored girl held her two-bladed weapon aloft.

"I am Celestial Warrior Moon, Defender of _Truth and Justice_! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Moon loudly proclaimed.

"Hi," was all Haruka said.

"And I thought your entrance was overwrought," Peisinoe said to Makoto.

Makoto replied by sticking her tongue out. Peisinoe ignored her, her attention having gone back to the other two.

"Celestial Warrior Moon, and one of my customers," she identified them.

"Give it up, Siren," Moon ordered. "We know what you're up to, and we're here to stop you!"

Peisinoe smirked and started to wail her song again, this time in Haruka's direction. Makoto was quick and dived at the seductress. Peisinoe matched her pace for pace in backing away.

"Get them," Peisinoe ordered.

The boys sprang back into action. Moon's blades entered non-lethal mode again and Haruka unfastened the sword from her belt altogether, intending it wield it with the sheath on.

"The boys are attacking," Haruka reported to Luna.

"Understood, and the girl?" Luna asked.

"Engaging the Siren," Haruka replied, and parried the first punch thrown her way.

The first boy charged Moon with a punch aimed at her masked face. She ducked down low and to the side. She nailed him right in the gut with her staff. He made a 'whooshing' out as all the air was knocked out of him. A second tried to grab for her, but she smacked him on the side of the head. They closed in quick, so Moon let them was a warning blow sweeping across horizontally, making them back off.

Haruka squeezed her opponent at the base of the neck with her hand, and he went down immediately, unconscious. Using her peripheral vision, she saw another attacker coming and struck him across the chest with her sword. He fell onto his back painfully. Another grabbed her shoulder from behind, but she elbowed him in the face. She punched another that came too close from the front.

Peisinoe danced away from Makoto's punches and kicks, giggling all the way. Makoto growled, growing angrier by the minute. Makoto ducked under a pair of grabbing arms that came in from the side, but she was grabbed by another the neck. She threw him off over her shoulders into some other boys. She side-stepped a punch and swept her foot under the one with most of his weight on it. When he went off-balance she gripped him and used his own momentum to throw him into the others.

"Break the Siren's concentration and you free them," Haruka yelled over to her while fending them off.

Moon jumped onto the table where Peisinoe did her "fortune telling" and then leapt back off of it. She kicked it at the coming mob. She dodged a chair swung through the air at her, landing next to Haruka.

"She's certainly been doing good business for someone who just opened shop yesterday," Haruka muttered.

The two stood back-to-back in the middle of the room as the young men closed in.

* * *

Two more charged, but Makoto knocked their head together. Umino jumped right into her path. He made a dive, but she push kicked him against the counter. He tried again, but this time she jumped out of the way and ran he right into his comrades. Them Makoto pushed past two last boys rushing right up to Peisinoe.

The Siren crossed her arms over her chest, displaying that she had a scale between each finger ready to be thrown. Makoto stopped and crouched to dodge. Then the Siren spoke.

"I wouldn't dodge this if I were you."

Makoto looked back at the hapless mob behind her. She realized what was going to happen. She froze, unsure of what to do. Something broke through the glass front of the shop. Before anyone had the slightest idea what it was it'd hit Peisinoe. The impact knocked her off her feet and she let out of a cry in pain. It was Luna's spear. The boys all ceased their assault, one by one. The grip on Moon's arm relaxed as Yuuji blinked the spell off. He looked around at what he and his cohorts had done. He looked at Moon again.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" he stammered out.

"It's alright, just get out of here," Moon replied.

As their senses returned to them, horror at their actions from all day entered their minds. They remembered everything. Makoto and Haruka also noticed the change

"Aaugh! A monster!" one of the boys near the back screamed.

Everyone turned to Peisinoe as she eased herself up off the ground while leaning against the wall. She gingerly pulled the spear out of her side with a pained hiss. All the boys began to flee, including Umino. But, he stopped himself when he saw that Makoto wasn't running with the rest of them and went back for her. He grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her away, but she shook his grip off.

"Come on, Mako! That thing's a Siren!" Umino cried.

"Ya think," Makoto replied briskly.

"But…but…" Umino stuttered.

"Get going, before she puts you under another spell!" Makoto barked.

"Right," Umino replied.

He followed the others out of the shop. Once he'd gone, Luna entered the building as well.

* * *

Umino looked back at the shop, frantically trying to remember everything he'd ever read about Sirens. He recalled that it took a certain kind of earplugs to block out their song, but he couldn't quite remember the weakness. He also wondered who that girl in the battle armor was.

* * *

Moon and Haruka exchanged a look and came to a wordless agreement. They spread out and circled around closer to Peisinoe from both sides. Moon came in from the left and Haruka, the right. Moon's staff reverted to its true form as a double-bladed sword and Haruka cast the scabbard aside. Luna approached from the center. Peisinoe held her bleeding side, glaring back at them as the three neared. Luna beckoned her spear back over to. Makoto eyes went wide when the spear levitated.

Luna stepped forward next to Makoto. She took a few quick whiffs of the air upon catching the scent of something familiar.

"I smell something…Jovian," Luna thought.

Moon and Haruka were also very close now, too. Luna and Peisinoe's eyes met, and you practically see the lightning passing between them through their looks. Luna broke looks, her eyes going over to Makoto.

"Young lady, we have this under control now. You should be going," Luna said.

"No way," Makoto said defiantly.

Luna growled quietly. They didn't have time to deal with a stubborn civilian.

"Then stand back," Luna ordered, pushing Makoto away from Peisinoe.

She stepped in between the Siren and teen. She returned her steely gaze to the creature.

"I didn't puncture anything vital, this time," Luna spoke to Peisinoe with authority. "Now, Peisinoe, if you don't want your many millennia of life to end right here and now, you better just give it up now. There are no more men for you to control here. Tell us what the Dark Kingdom is up to. I know this is either a trap or a distraction. Just randomly attacking people for their energy is not their usual M.O. …Well, unless it's Jadeite, but I know Zoicite is the one pulling your strings."

Makoto stared at Luna while she spoke to the Siren, the meaning of everything said lost on her.

"Is this for real?" she thought.

Peisinoe sneered at her four opponents. She began to laugh hollowly and proceeded to give the back wall a good couple of knocks. Moon and Haruka dashed in, holding their weapons to her throat. Her smile told them they were too late. The entire store around them began to change. Starting from where Peisinoe had knocked on the wall, the once fresh coats of paint and sturdy walls became as the ruin it was before being touched by her enchantment. It spread out to the rest of the shop. Without warning, the back door of the main room was hit by something that sent it flying off its hinges. Everyone except for Peisinoe jumped back.

"To be absolutely frank," The Siren said. "All I know is that Master Zoicite came to us with orders. You'd have to ask him yourself if you want to know."

A large figure ran through the doorway, breaking through the wall around it, being too big to fit through. Dust and bits and pieces of the rotting wall flew everywhere. Amidst the settling dust was a figure too great to be human. Peisinoe stepped behind the large mass. Another figure not quite as grand walked out of the back room and stood beside the first.

"Indeed, your presence was anticipated from the beginning," Peisinoe spoke in a low voice. "Feel free to play rough, gentlemen."

The order issued, the larger mass bent down low and rushed forward. The girls ran for it when two horns suddenly emerged from the obscuring mist at them, followed by a bull's head, then his fur-covered humanoid torso, and finally his triple-joined legs with cloven-hooves. While Moon and Luna leapt straight up to evade him Makoto and Haruka were forced to sprint. He had accelerated enough that he quickly caught up to them. At the last second, they rolled out of the way and he crashed right through the front of the store onto the sidewalk, slamming into a parking car hard enough that slid right into traffic.

Luna landed gracefully on the ground. Moon dislodged herself from the ceiling and landed flat on her face. They all stared out at the horned beast that had tried to gore them on its horns. While a pick-up slammed right into the car it'd battered into the road, it turned around. It was a Minotaur, bathed under the glow of a lamppost. He stood seven feet off the ground. He was covered in brown fur and was clothed in a simple kilt and leather armor. Luna looked back at his cohort, and took a step back.

"Everyone out, now!" Luna shouted.

The thing standing at the back extended its left arm out at them. A spiked ball shot out, forcing everyone to duck flat against the floor to avoid getting hit by it. The metal orb tore through the supports. All at once pieces of the ceiling, insulation, and the wooden rafters all came crashing down. Peisinoe faded out, just in time to escape being crushed.

Haruka was the first out. She came right at the Minotaur with her sword pulled back alongside her head and aimed right at him.

"Hey, ugly!" she shouted.

The creature blocked with its forearm, his thick hide disallowing the sword to do too much damage. Haruka was quick to withdraw. He raised his other fist and came at her with a wide punch. Haruka bent over backwards. His arm flew mere inches over her face. She righted herself quickly as a snapping rubber band and dashed past him, slashing him in the side as she went. It roared at her, more from fury than pain and pursued its opponent down the sidewalk.

With him no longer guarding the front, Luna ran out of the building pulling Makoto along by the arm. One look around showed her that the streets were too crowded for a fight right now. She looked into the alleyway. It would take them straight to the park area.

The interior of the building collapsed right behind them. They both slowed down and gave a worried look inside. A bright flash and Moon burst from the rubble, blade first. Luna and Makoto sped up again with her close behind. The other beast also burst out onto the sidewalk. He spotted them head into the alley and called to its partner.

"Where are we going?" Makoto demanded.

"To the park!" Luna commanded.

The Minotaur gave Haruka one more glare, snorted, and about-faced. Haruka swore and chased after the beast. Scared and panicked civilians scattered to get out of the Minotaur's way.

* * *

"All units respond. We have a situation: several witnesses claim they're seeing monsters on 7th Street of downtown of area," the dispatcher said.

The man driving the car reached down and grabbed the receiving speaker, holding up to his mouth.

"Inspector Wakagi. Acknowledged."

* * *

The small crew exited the alley and ran across the street into the park with their pursuers never more than a few steps behind them. A car slammed on its breaks to avoid running Luna and Makoto over. They both jumped up and slid across its hood while Moon hopped over. The beasts pushed the car out of their way causing it spin clean around.

Luna heard a rumble of thunders nearby. She could see the stars were out, so that didn't make any sense. Moon dared a glance over her shoulders at the Minotaur's comrade. Though not as big as the Minotaur their other opponent was certainly menacing in his own right. Standing maybe half a foot shorter than the Minotaur, green flesh was bound in cold metal as if it were some kind of exoskeleton. Thin metal braces didn't just run along its arms, legs, and joints, but rather seemed to be imbedded into them. Both its forearms were replaced with artificial ones. The outer shell of these forearms seemed to be made up of several long, thin plates. Metal claws were where she guessed green hands once were. Its blood-shot eyes were so red she couldn't make out what color they were originally. It walked hunched forward jump of like a gorilla, but it was definitely standing upright like a man. It had a wide, round head with pointed ears and saber teeth sticking upwards from its lower jaw. And lastly, all the metal trappings it was encased in seemed to lead to the chest around which was covered in a chest-plate with some kind of red glowing round apparatus in the middle. If she had to guess, Moon would say that it was probably its power source.

"Split up!" Luna shouted. "Moon, Haruka, you handle the Minotaur!"

Moon back-flipped over the mechanical green monster and landed a few yards to the Minotaur's side.

"Hey, ugly! This is what your face looks like!" she shouted.

The Minotaur looked at her as she made a face at it by pulling her features downwards with her hands. It snorted and changed its course in her direction. It charged at her with its head down much the same as it had done earlier. She leapt straight up and came down at it with one of the blades poised to stab into its back. But the Minotaur jumped to the right more nimbly than she thought possible and she stabbed dirt. Haruka stopped next to Moon as the Minotaur raised its arms like a boxer would. He shifted his weight back and forth from one leg to the other, settling into a sturdy fighting stance.

"We have a seasoned fighter here," Haruka observed.

The girls nodded and rushed the bullhead at once on both sides, but it lightly stepped to the left when they got close. Now he had Moon right next to him between himself and Haruka. Moon sliced at him, but he punched the blade away and took a swing at her. She ducked the punch, and then side-stepped to the right allowing Haruka to charge in. He stepped back and the left, now keeping Haruka between himself and Moon.

Haruka thrust forward aiming for his gut, but he stepped back with his left hoof turning to the side away from it. He had his upper arm level and fully withdrawn. Then he took a charging towards her with his right leg leading and swung his elbow around to deck her in the head. From her precarious position, Haruka had no choice but to let herself fall to the ground to avoid it. The Minotaur raised a hoof and to stomp her and she rolled out of the way.

Moon jumped in from above with her blades held high and already spinning. The bullhead dashed forward a step, keeping low, and she sailed right where he'd just been. He whirled around, grabbed her ankles. Then he spun around three times while Moon screamed and tried to break loose. He let her go and she flew right at a tree.

"Oh, craaaa-!" she cried right before slamming headfirst into it.

Haruka cringed as Moon bounced off the tree crashed onto the ground. She got up and turned to the Minotaur, which was beckoning her with his index finger. She scowled.

"You definitely know what you're doing, I'll give you that," she admitted grudgingly.

Luna, Makoto, and the metal green creature came to a stop a good ways away. Luna got between the girl and it. Makoto was still in trepidation at everything she'd seen so far.

"What…is that…thing?" was all she could say.

"A cyborg ogre. I didn't think The Dark Kingdom still had any left from the '30s," Luna answered.

"The 1930s?" Makoto was astonished. "Just how long has whatever's going on been…going on?"

The Ogre's forearms plating above and below the hands slide apart making openings. The hands went into the casing and were replaced with a left spiked-mace and a right blade. The mace fell loose of the arm to the ground, exposing a long chain it was connected to. Makoto and Luna could see the chain also ran up long its upper arm into it back. The Ogre began to swing the mace in circles.

"Oh, this is going to be bad," Luna said in a low but tense tone.

The Ogre swung its arm down across its chest and made a circular motion towards the pair. They could see more chain being fed out and the mace's reach increasng. Luna grabbed hold of Makoto it came at them. It was level with her upper bodies, so they ducked flat against the ground. The Ogre brought his arm up straight again in fluid motion to bring it down right on them. They rolled away in opposite directions a mere split second before the mace struck the earth. Then it retracted the chain and sped forward at Luna with its blade arm ready to strike.

Luna jumped to her fight and blocked his slash with her spear and somersaulted back and away from his mace. The Orge spun and sliced at her level, which she ducked by dropping almost into a full split, and then he brought the mace back around, aiming low. She braced her feet on the ground and flipped into the air over it. This time the blade came in low, slicing upwards. Luna went into her own spin and slid to her left. Makoto tried to run in from behind again, but it was stopped when the mace went past. She gritted her teeth. Damn! It was near impossible to get close to this thing from either front or behind, because if its sword hand wasn't cutting past, then mace threatened to smash them. Its melee defense was excellent.

Luna back-stepped out of the Ogre's attack perimeter once more and then jumped in when a brief opening in its defense presented itself behind strikes. It had a narrow slit vulnerable under the arm. She thrust forward with her spear and…just missed, the spear tip glanced off its metal bracings just as its own blade came at her.

She raised the staff part of her weapon and knocked back onto her back. Ogre faced her and raised both its weapons to bear them down on her. Makoto, realizing what was about to happen, charged the Ogre from behind. Luna raised her palm at the Ogre and concentrated. She didn't have time to properly circulate the energy within herself to cast any real spells, so she did the first thing that came to mind. A ball of blindingly bright light flashed like an old fashioned camera bulb in the Ogre's eyes. It cried and covered it eyes in a forearm while lashing out aimlessly around itself with the mace. Luna crawled out of reach and ran over to Makoto. She pulled the girl behind a tree while their opponent stumbled about looking for them. They leaned on their sides against it the slender stump, hoping that'd buy them to a minute to formulate a plan.

Again, there was the growl of thunder. Luna looked up and saw clouds gathering overhead a bit too quickly for it to be normal. She looked over at Makoto, who was breathing hard.

"Makoto Kino," Luna spoke.

Makoto looked at her apprehensively.

"How do you know my name?"

"It's part of my job, but that's not important right now. Tell me, Kino, do you want to live?"

"Eh? Duh! Of course!"

"Then I'm going to need your help," Luna said.

She turned the girl to face her again.

"Now, just hold still," he instructed.

The Ogre growled when it spotted then again. It took a step their way. Makoto back at the approaching Ogre, but Luna grabbed her face and turned it to her again.

"I said _don't move_!" Luna shouted.

Luna placed her index and middle fingers upon Makoto's forehead whilst chanting. Makoto could hear the Ogre bearing down on them, getting closer with every second. Lightning crashed through the skies overhead. Makoto's body began to shake, bursting with a hot, burning energy.

"Whoa!" Makoto gasped. "What-?"

"Awaken, Celestial Warrior of the Cosmos! Celestial Warrior Jupiter!" Luna shouted.

Then she slapped Makoto. The startled girl fell back a step as her whole body jerked from the stewing energy bursting forth. Makoto stood tall while pure white, swirling light exploded out from her. She was standing in the eye of a storm of light. The Ogre slowed its charged, shielding its eyes from the gleam and squinted to try to see. Haruka and Minotaur ceased their fighting and looked as well. Moon's eyes fluttered open, for she sensed another warrior awakened. She sat up painfully and stared at the event.

"Makoto?" she breathed.

Lightning strikes filled the sky like a fireworks display might, and there was a whistling sound. Like something had been fired to Earth from the heavens. The small falling object went straight for Makoto. When it reached her, she reached up and grabbed it. Then with one final blast of radiance the world was as it should be again with only one alternation.

Makoto stood with one fist raised high above her. No longer a mere girl, she was Jupiter. In place of her civilian garb was armor nearly identical to Warrior Moon's. She also wore a masquerade-style mask that fit the upper part of her face like a glove. It, too, was decorated with interconnecting spiral designs engraved, but with hard green material instead of gray.

From her elegant form fitting chest plate to the segments over the stomach, to the shoulder elbow guards, her armored battle ballgown, where Moon's gear had been made silver, hers' was a great, vibrant green. Her hourglass finger gauntlets were thicker than Moon's, made for punching. Small curved, blade-liked spikes adorned the backs of the forearms. Her greaves had several sharp edges and points, and the metal was also durable to the max for up close usage. Adorning the chest-plate was the symbol of Jupiter.

Makoto looked down at herself and held out her gloved hands and turned them over. She looked at Luna.

"What is this?" she asked.

"You are Celestial Warrior Jupiter, and now you have all the power you need to defeat that Ogre." Luna replied, smiling.

Jupiter faced the Ogre fully. She got into a standard fighting stance.

"I'm dressed just like that Celestial Warrior Moon girl over there," Jupiter thought. "Does that mean I can jump high into the air, too?"

Ogre swung its mace low this time, so Jupiter leapt high through the air towards. Realizing she was about to reach it in a single bound, Jupiter pulled back a fist metal fist to punch it. The Ogre parried with its blade and drove her back, but the momentum of her flight made him slide back a few inches. They broke contact and the Ogre withdrew the chain again to a short length.

"Okay, let's do this," Jupiter said.

The Ogre half-grinned and jabbed at her with its blade, but she jumped to the side with another punch readied. It swung around slightly angled to the left from above, but she slid to the right. It slashed outwards, but she caught the strike with one gauntlet. Before the Ogre could react, she landed a punched right in his mouth. The Ogre took a step back and spit out some broken teeth.

"Very good," Luna thought while she watched them go at it.

"Alright, I'm back in the game!" Moon muttered.

She shook off the last of the dizziness. The Minotaur noticed her out of the corner of its eye, but did not turn its back on Haruka. Moon thought about what to do.

"Alright, so ganging up on him doesn't work. He's keeps getting one of us between him and the other," Moon thought. "So what do I do? Oh, I know!"

She held her sword like one would a spear. The blades glowed as she activated power within them, and she threw it aiming for him. He spotted it en route and just ran for it, headlong retreat. Moon grumbled and recalled the blades. Both girls took off after the retreating figure of the Minotaur.

"You got him running! That's good, at least," Haruka said.

Then he grabbed hold a slim tree and U-Turned himself back towards them for another round. He lowered his head for another charge. The girls broke off their pursuit, so he chose to chase after Moon. Haruka pursued behind, again. Moon pushed off the ground, sending herself high above him and he passed harmlessly over the patch of green where she had been standing. She landed right behind him.

He turned halfway towards her and swung his arm out. She ducked under the swing. She cut him across the side. His leather padding absorbed some of the blow, but he was bleeding now. He noticed that Haruka wasn't that far off now coming in from his right. He darted to the left, but Moon kept up with him. She watched him carefully and matched his movements, preventing his attempts to keep his opponents running in circles to get at him.

"Oh, no, you don't!" she cried.

Haruka was close enough now. Both girls were ready. The bullhead looked from one to the other keeping them in his peripherals at all times. They closed in and he made a decision. He moved to avoid getting hit by Moon's enchanted blades altogether, and allowed his arm to absorb the full brunt of Haruka's attack. Blood now oozed for his other arm.

Then he tried to dart past Haruka to get her in Moon's way, but she followed his movements and the three kept up this dance. They were wise to him now. He would try to ram them or get them with his fists, and they'd move away each time. He was also quite good at evading them.

He finally stepped back away from them, growling and frustrated. Moon and Haruka would just keep wearing him down until they could finish him and he knew it. He glanced at a nearby lamppost and broke off into a dead sprint towards it.

"Don't let him get away!" Haruka shouted.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Moon cried back.

He could hear their footsteps on the wet grass, but he wasn't worried. He was far too fast for them gain on him. They were keeping right up with him, through. His hooves clopped onto the concrete near the streetlight and he gripped it at the base in both hands. He pulled back on the metal, as hard as he ever had before. The metal groaned under the stress.

_Bang!_ He pulled it out of the ground, the wiring sparking as it was severed.

"Shit!" Haruka shouted.

The Minotaur held the broken pole like bat and wielded it as one. It beat the ground relentlessly trying to condense Moon and Haruka to paste.

"Moon Blade Boomerang!" Moon roared.

The spinning sword collided with the streetlight. The resulting impact broke it into several small pieces and sent the Minotaur slamming into the earth, sliding several feet away. It righted itself again, grabbed a stone bench and threw it at them.

Meanwhile, Jupiter jumped back from her adversary, breathing hard. Her face was the picture of aggravation. Sure, she was able to match the creature now, but she wasn't really getting anywhere with him, either. He leaned against a tree, a little bruised, battered, and winded, but overall not very hurt.

"This is going to take some doing," she muttered.

Luna had seen enough of Jupiter in melee battle.

"Jupiter, you command the power of Lightning and Earth. Focus, feel that energy you felt when you first awakened as a warrior! Then focus on drawing energy to your fist!" she called.

"What? But how can I?"

"It's within you. It always was," Luna answered.

Jupiter furrowed her brow trying to focus. At first she didn't feel anything, but she remembered that feeling. She looked deep within, and there was it. She could definitely feel that warm aura all throughout her system now.

"I can…feel it. It's like, natural…"

Jupiter held up one armored fist. When small sparks of lightning began to ignite all over, she cried out. A single lightning strike shot out of her hand, blasting off the branch of a nearby tree.

"Careful, you fool!" Luna cried. "You have to maintain your hold over it!"

"R-Right," Jupiter exclaimed.

By this time, the Ogre had recovered and was advancing again. Jupiter summoned it up again, this time allowed the little currents to course over the surface of her gauntlet. She grinned wildly and looked the Ogre square in the eye.

"Let's end this," she whispered.

The first step taken, she sped into a full run. The Ogre twirled the mace vertically before throwing it at her again. Jupiter made a jumping lunge over the bludgeon and grabbed the chain with her charged-up hand. The lightning shot up the length of metal links to the source, electrocuting him. His entire body went into a spasm while the device powering him sparked and sizzled.

The chain was ripped from Jupiter's grasp by all his jerking around. He lumbered around unsteadily, his limbs still twitching from the shock he'd just received. He clutched at his chest device, which was making strange noises and the red light was beginning to flicker. His breathing was labored.

Jupiter noted the change in behavior and knew exactly how to finish him. She held up both hands clenching them into tight fists. The electrical energy buzzed through them both. She held them out like she was holding a ball. Currents began going between as she willed it all into the space between her hands. A ball of flickering lightning formed and grew until it was the size of a bowling ball. She could hardly believe this was actually working.

"Yo, Metal Man!" she called.

The Ogre looked at her viciously.

"Did you like the appetizer? Here's the main course!"

The lightning bolt discharged and struck his generator like an arrow to the bull's-eye. The walloping force sent him flying backwards. The Ogre let out a pitiful scream as all the mechanical parts of its form sparked and overloaded and exploded, including his generator. He crashed into a chain-link fence and became wrapped in it. He was no more, but his limp form still twitched.

Jupiter turned to face the sound of clapping. There Luna stood giving her applause.

"Well done, Warrior Jupiter," she congratulated.

"Gosh, it was…" Jupiter began to speak humbly, but then stopped. "No, that-that was something! What, I have no idea!"

Luna chuckled. She walked over to the warrior and put a hand on the bewildered girl's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go check on your fellow warrior and my subordinate," she said.

The Minotaur was down on one knee, cuts bleeding all over its body.

"Come on! If that all you have, you stupid sack of fur?" Haruka shouted tauntingly. "You couldn't impale the Tokyo Tower, I'll bet!"

He sprang up roaring angrily and barreled over at the Apprentice Keeper.

"That's it. Just like that," Haruka whispered.

When it was finally close enough, Haruka bolted out of its way. CRASH! The horned one had gotten its horns stuck in a big tree trunk. He heaved and pushed on it, but it was too tired to get loose quickly. He heard the pair rush in, and he could see them out of the corner of his eyes, but he just wasn't fast enough to get loose in time. He let out a howl as he felt two blades enter his back below the shoulders. His head jerked back, releasing him from the trunk. He fell onto his knees again, unable to move. Moon lifted up her sword in the air and shouted.

"MOON BLADE!"

The blade she aimed at the center of his back shined in the dark while she drove it into him. His back arched forward as he wheezed out his last. When she removed it, he slid down the side of the trunk and flat against the ground face for his face buried in the base of the tree trunk.

Moon sighed heavily and she staggered away from the fallen foe. Haruka padded her on the shoulder.

"You did it, Bunny," she smiled.

Moon nodded her answer.

"So did you," the warrior replied.

Then she noticed Luna coming over with Jupiter.

"Mako!" she cried, running over to her friend.

Haruka walked along behind.

"Huh? How do you people know my-oof!"

Moon had tackled and bear-hugged her fellow warrior.

"Mako, I knew you could do it! Isn't this great. We're both warriors!"

Jupiter pushed her away and held her by the arms.

"_Great _isn't the word I'd use. I _still _don't know what's going on around here! Why'd I turn into something right out of _Saint Se_iya?!" Jupiter exclaimed. "Who…what, were those guys…things?! And _who _are you people?!"

"I'm Celestial Warrior M…!" Moon started to explain excitedly.

"Moon," Jupiter interrupted. "I heard you when you _loudly _announced yourself at the ex-House of Fortune. But, who, _who_?"

Moon lifted her mask. Jupiter stood there, blinking, before taking her own off.

"But…when…how….?"

Then it happened. Before Makoto's eyes, the memory of the wild zoo cat vanished and became The Rake. She recalled everything now, including Usagi fleeing for her life out of that house.

"It…It had to be _that_ night," Makoto mumbled. "That demon."

"You're correct. I awakened the sleeping warrior within Usagi before The Rake (that's what it's called, don't ask me why) was able to harm her. I'm Luna, Senior Member of the Order of the Keepers. Humankind's only defense against beings like what we faced tonight."

"So…I'm a defender of the helpless, then?" Makoto asked.

"Just like Sailor V," Usagi chimed in.

Makoto's eyes lit up.

"Oh, gosh, you mean it?!" she cried giddily.

"She also works for the Keepers," Usagi added. "I've even met her! You could, too."

Makoto had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from squeeing too loudly.

"Oh wow! This is suddenly the BEST. THING. EVER!"

Haruka looked over her shoulder at the approaching sound of sirens.

"The whole story is pretty long. One better saved for later, when there aren't sirens heading our way," Haruka said.

"Tenou's right," Luna said.

"What? Hey…" Makoto started to argue, but Luna held a finger to the girl's lips.

"I will tell you the whole story tomorrow after school. I'll pick up you and show you personally what The Keepers are. Think you can wait until then?"

"I guess…" Makoto answered uncertainly.

"Good. We better be going, then," Usagi said.

The four of them retreated into the shadows away from prying eyes.

"Hey, Mako," Usagi said, while pulling her mask back down.

"Yeah?"

"Out of all the girls out there it could have been. I'm glad you're one of the celestial warriors."

Mako smiled warmly before pulling her own mask back over her upper face.

"Thank you."

Unknown to them, a nearby squad car that didn't have its sirens on departed the scene. Wakagi was at the wheel. Next to him, Officer Aoba looked at him doubtfully.

"We just took a body from the scene of a crime," she said.

"Believe me, I _know_. It can't be helped," Wakagi insisted.

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Umino shouted, returning to the former House. "I figured out how to defeat the Siren! You just need to-...oh."

**A/N: **Next up, _**Chapter 10**__**: **__**Mars, the Fiery Princess**_.


	11. Chapter 10: Mars, the Fiery Princess

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Drew L.: I admit it I was kind of in a corner when writing Chapter 9. So yeah, the coincidences were a bit contrived. I'm not even going to bother defending that aspect of it. Thank you for taking the time to write up a review!

Neanda: Thank you again!

TsukiyoTensei and LoveInTheBattleField: As always, I will.

SomeoftheFame: Thanks. I'll tell ya, these fights scenes are definitely a part of why these are taking over a week to write, each.

AM: You're about to find out why Phantom Mask didn't show up.

Faen: Why thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**Chapter 10**

**Mars, the Fiery Princess**

It was Tuesday evening, April 14th, the same night Celestial Warrior Jupiter rejoined the ranks of the Celestial Warriors of the Cosmos. Though an important event, to be sure, there were other forces at work, at a warehouse by the docks.

The last Yakuza member slammed against the concrete at Mask's feet, joining his comrades plastered all over the place. Mask gazed at the warehouse, deciding upon the best entrance. There were several windows along the side of the building which he could use.

Making his decision, he crept through the shadows over to one and peered inside from around the corner. He pointed at the locking mechanism on the inside and focused. He heard it unlock, and then slowly pushed it open and climbed inside. He shut it quietly behind and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark interior. He could make several large shapes of crates, box, and equipment stored in here. There were even large steel shelves holding things in the back.

He pulled a flashlight out from his pocket and turned it on. He silently walked along two bows of boxes towards the center of the storage facility. Then he found what he was looking for. He delivery package for "Mr. Dite", which he knew to be the name of the man paying the Yakuza to smuggle in the priceless stones into the country.

Before he could make another move, the lights turned on. Mask around, his cane readied. He looked around and eventually up at a small office located on the metal walkways above. A man and a woman were looking down at them from there.

"So you're the famous Phantom Mask," the man said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Mr. Dite, and this is my assistant, Aqua."

"Please to meet you," Mask replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to burrow a few things."

Jadeite laughed at this, and even broke into fit of guffaws and woops as this question.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Jadeite said, breathing hard.

"Oh? I supposed it would be rude of me to just walk away with them without a chat."

Jadeite smiled.

"Then I suppose we better get right to the point. How do you know about The Silver Crystal, and why do you seek?" Jadeite asked.

"What makes you so sure that's what I'm looking for?" Mask asked.

"It's far too late to play dumb. You don't _just _give back stolen jewels you took from beings the rest of mankind has forgotten existed unless you're looking for something…special. The only thing missing is a motive," Jadeite stated, his friendly façade fading.

"In that case: where are the real gems? In The Dark Kingdom?" Mask asked.

"Oh, you are good. Did you, by any chance, know this was a trap from the start?," Jadeite asked.

"I just wanted to see the man in charge. So you're this Mr. Dite the Yakuza speak of. You don't seem like much on your own," Mask replied.

Jadeite smiled faded altogether. His good mood was now gone.

"How do I find The Dark Kingdom?" mask asked.

"Listen, thief, even if I told how find the homeland, it wouldn't do you one bit of good. You might be feared in this world of humans and towers of iron and glass reaching up into the sky, but in The Dark Kingdom, you'd be a flea. It'd be effortless to scratch off an itch like you," Jadeite said bitingly.

"Try me," Mask challenged.

"I intend to," Jadeite spoke threateningly.

"As for the reason why I seek The Silver Crystal: my reason are my own," Mask stated.

"How quaint. Know this, boy. I will not lose to a person like you. I have a master I loyally serve with every fiber of my being. You serve no one."

"Talk is cheap, Jadeite, the Heavenly King of the East," Mask countered.

"…Where did you hear that title? ANSWER ME!" Jadeite bellowed.

"Defeat me and I'll tell you," Phantom Mask replied.

"Very well."

Aqua held up a pair of sheathed long daggers, which Jadeite accepted and then jumped off the railing to the first floor. He gripped them in hand and sped at Mask with inhuman swiftness. Mask side-stepped away from Aqua and both dual-wielders weapons' clashed. Both men rooted themselves in place and tried to out-muscle the other. After a several minutes of neither one making any headway and both stepped back.

Jadeite made the first move coming up at an angle, which Mask knocked off-course with his cane before counterattacking with his own sword, which Jadeite's other dagger caught. The two exchanged blows like these in perfect equilibrium as stubbornly as they'd tried to outdo each other pure strength before. Finally, Jadeite disengaged, tired of trying to simply outfight Mask. He disappeared. Mask was savvy enough to cover his back with his cane, which clanked against one of Jadeite's daggers.

Jadeite vanished again and reappeared elsewhere and again, Mask was able to deflect his attack. Jadeite kept this up, teleporting all around Mask, driving him to the limits. Jadeite thrust forward, his weapons clashing with Mask's. Mask tried to deflect his dagger, but Jadeite adjusted the angle so that he was able push right past and stuck into his opponent's shoulder.

Mask grunted painfully and jumped back. Then Jadeite charged again, and both daggers were entangled with Mask's weapons. They went from side to side trying to angle them right to break free and get through to the person they were protecting. Jadeite jumped back and dived back in again, coming in from above. His daggers came down on Mask's sword and cane, and then Jadeite jammed the hilt of one of the daggers into Mask's wound.

Mask grunted painfully and staggered back, and Jadeite attacked slashing with both daggers. Mask was able to deflect one, but saw he wasn't going to block the second, and fell back. Mask moaned, clutching his side. Jadeite had managed to get a hit in and had teleported behind him again. Mask dashed forward trying to get out of reach. Jadeite managed to cut him down his lower back and Mask fell onto a knee. He controlled his breathing trying to concentrate enough to move. He felt a blade pit on the back of his neck. He turned his head partially skyward and saw Jadeite standing triumphantly over him.

He raised both blades and drove them down at the masked one. Mask let go of the cane and guarded himself with just the sword, which glowed with energy now, but it flickered with instability. Jadeite's daggers connected with it, and energy sparked acting like an electrical current, burning Jadeite's hands and forearms. The shitennou stumbled back. He looked back down at the immobile masked man.

"You little…!" he shouted.

He sliced both blades at Mask, who didn't respond, instead both strikes hit nothing and Mask disappeared.

"What…?"

Jadeite heard something behind him and whirled around. Mask cleaved his sword from Jadeite's right shoulder down across his chest before withdrawing the blade his upper stomach on the left side. Jadeite opened his mouth to but only an agonized moaning sound escaped and fell flat on his back at Mask's feet.

Mask wobbled on his feet and sunk down onto a knee again. He kept himself up by bracing his sword on the ground. Jadeite raised a shaking raised, igniting a ball of fire in his palm, then instead of firing it at Mask, he ran across his own deep gash of a wound, cauterizing it. Though he tried to stop it, a scream was forced out him as he completed his work. After it was done, he went into laughing mad fit.

Jadeite climbed to his feet shakily grinning like a maniac.

"Think that's it?! Think that's it! I'll. SHOW! You!" Jadeite bayed.

He raised both hands over his head, collecting energy from the air between him. He then held it out in front, ready to fire. Mask painfully got to his feet, but it was too late. Jadeite roared something unintelligible as he fired it, paying no attention to a sudden whistling sound.

Before the ball of dark matter could get five feet from him, something intercepted the blast, and it exploded in Jadeite's face. The shitennou was sent head over heel over head over the ground before coming to face down on the sidewalk. Smoke rose from his burned and charred body and he laid there perfectly still for several moments.

"Oh, no, Master Jadeite!" Aqua cried.

When Jadeite did move again, he slowly and cautiously got up on hands and knees. He got up, grimacing from the pain every moment and looked around for the unseen interloper. He spotted him. A man in red leather armor was standing above them on the railing's Aqua jumped in surprise, not having spotted him earlier.

His torso and upper legs were protected by a long padded tunic that came down just past his knees. The area over the chest was thick and rigid, but the stomach was covered by flexible intertwining strips of leather. A combination of solid pads and thinner strips were attached to the garb below the waste. The man had sturdy boots and shoulder, elbow, knee, and wrist guards. Underneath the red leather guards could be made out a shirt and pants of earthy tone. He wore a closed-faced helm with a wide visor for sight. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He carried with him a red bow which was had a black arrow notched in it.

"You!"

The man fired another shot, which embedded into concrete like ordinary arrows would into a tree. Jadeite took a step back. He knew that shot was just a warning.

"Aqua! We'll retreat for now!" he yelled.

"Yes, Master Jadeite!"

"Next battle, Phantom Mask, you're head is mine!" Jadeite vowed, and limped away as best he could.

Mask heard his companion jump off his high ground and walk towards him while Aqua helped her master to the foor. Mask's unknown compatriot stood next to him.

"And that is what happens when you fight a shitennou that isn't messing around," he said. "Come on, let's get you fixed up, kid."

* * *

"You must hold still and let me treat you master," Aqua said.

"No, it can wait until we reach the hospital. Driver, speed up. Damn, I didn't anticipate Phantom Mask having power similar to the celestial warriors. He's not quite on par with them, but still… very surprising. I also didn't expect…_him_ to interfere."

He turned to his assistant sitting in the back of the limo next to him.

"When will my request for additional Atlantian aid be approved?"

"It could take some time, Master Jadeite," Aqua replied. "His Majesty Poseidon is very reluctant to give any aid to a surface dwelling kingdom."

* * *

The following day, April 15th

"I don't wanna do this," Usagi hummed. "I don't want to go without Luna there to guide me through it. This sucks."

"I know you're scared, but if you don't…" Naru began.

"**I know.** If I don't foil Evil McEvil's schemes: end of the world. You people don't need to keep ramming it down my throat," Usagi snapped.

"Don't give me that tone! I'm coming along to help you cover more ground, and I can't turn into an awesome Lady of Action like you! So watch the attitude!" Naru lashed back.

Usagi shrank away from Naru's riled counter, knowing she'd done wrong.

"When is that bus going to get here, anyway?" Naru asked, looking down the road from which it would approach the stop they were sitting at.

"I'm sorry, Naru," Usagi said contritely. "I'm just scared. _Real_ scared."

"I know, but you've done this before. You can do it again" Naru asked.

"In this world," Usagi uttered drearily.

"Hmm?"

"Naru, these people are being taken away to someplace else, and if it's the place I'm thinking of…" Usagi trailed off.

"Where?" Naru asked.

Usagi stared ahead with a dire look. Her hand which clutched her portable phone was visibly shaking.

"The Land Of Black Leaves," Usagi said at last. "It's a terrible place devoid of cheer and caring where a blood red moon shines its ugly light over everything. The Rake took us there once. He made a hole and we were stupid enough to climb down it. Only instead of going to Wonderland, we found a nightmare."

"So, this place is a magic world in another dimension?" Naru asked.

"Yeah."

"Is it where the monsters come from?"

"Luna said it's where a lot of the worst ones come from, ruled by someone called The Black King. They either come here or pull people in and 'play games' with them until they break. Then they toss us away like crummy old toys. Why? 'Cause they're bored."

"That's horrible! And… So some monsters live here? Where?"

"Hidden in plain sight, yeah, Luna also said that not all non-humans are bad and just want to be left alone. We're just dealing with the ones who aren't willing to get along with humans."

Naru shuddered while thinking about the implications of that statement. Usagi suddenly sat up straight, slapping herself on the forehead.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Usagi cried suddenly.

"What?" Naru asked.

Usagi reached into her schoolbag and pulled out two large objects that looked like oversized, black marbles.

"Luna gave me these in case we get trapped in another pocket dimension. They're Recall Stones. I'm supposed to leave one in this world and take the other with me. If I focus on it, it'll take me to the other marble even through dimensions," Usagi explained.

"That's great, so what are you so afraid of again?" Naru asked.

"You have to be touching the marble or the person holding it to work. If I got separated from Makoto, I don't know if I can find her again. Or if something happens to one of these we'll all be good as dead. Anyway, here, take this one. I don't want to just leave it lying around."

"You can count on me," Naru said.

She stuffed the marble into her own bag. Usagi looked back at the school entrance

"Mako's late. I wonder why," Usagi observed.

"Yeah, really, she decided to go meet The Keepers during that free period she had before lunch so she could come with us. So where is she?," Naru said

"There she is," Usagi pointed over to the school gate.

Sure enough, out ran Makoto changed into running shorts, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes.

"Sorry I'm late," she called. "I was slipping into something a little more practical in case…"

She stopped herself, spotting Naru.

"In case I decided to go on my evening workout routine after we visit the shrine," Makoto blurted out the first cover she could think of, nervously.

She even ran in place to punctuate the point.

"She knows, so you relax, Mako," Usagi said.

"She does?" Makoto gasped. "Is that allowed?"

"If it isn't, too bad," Usagi replied. "She needed to know."

Makoto tilted her head to the side, utterly clueless as to what that was supposed to mean.

"It happened the night mom's jewelry store was attacked. I was scared and didn't know who to trust. So Usagi showed me who I could trust," Naru explained solemnly.

"Oh, right. That makes sense. Don't worry, Naru. I won't tell anyone. Eh, does Luna know?" Makoto said.

"Nope, and let's keep it that way," Usagi said.

"So how'd your orientation with the Keepers go?" Usagi then asked.

"Great. They guys seem pretty on the level," Makoto chirped. "Though finding out that there's been a secret war fought right under our noses this whole time is hard to wrap my head around."

"Did you get to meet everyone?," Usagi replied.

"No," Makoto replied. "I kinda caught Luna off-guard calling her to take me in few hours early, I only met that old guy, Myddin."

"So what'd you think of their story?" Usagi said. "You know they're not telling us things, right? They've been nothing but helpful in saving people's lives, but Naru did some research on ancient civilizations. There was never a mighty empire called The Silver Millennium. I don't know what their deal is, but some answers would be nice."

"Well, if they were out to conquer the world, they could have done it by now," Makoto said.

Usagi shrugged.

"I don't _think_ they're _that _bad. Luna and Artemis are nice enough, but the whole thing is straight out of a conspiracy theorist's nightmares."

"I guess I see where you're coming from," Makoto answered.

"Say, Mako, what's that booklet thing under your arms?" Naru asked.

"Oh, this," Makoto said.

She held it up so they could get a look at the cover.

"Have a look."

"_Intro to Keeping for Dummies_," Usagi and Naru read.

"Why'd they give you that?" Usagi asked.

"I started asking how the whole thing works," Makoto answered. "It turns out that they're independently funded by big corporations all around the world. There're also five ranks in the organization: The Core Eight, the Administrative Keepers, Commission Keepers, Mission Keepers, and Apprentice Keepers.

"The Core Eight run everything. The Administrative Keepers work inside of many major governments in case they have to put a stop to a something _real _dumb and so they can have access to all the juicy police files for something supernatural. They send all the Intel they find back the Core Eight and Commission Keepers. Commission Keepers are in charge of each regional agency branch. They usually decide who to send to kill a monster and do damage control. Mission Keepers are the field agents, researchers, and stuff like that. And Apprentice Keepers are basically students of other Keepers.

"The Organization of made of long-time families, so you're born into it, but some do get recruited from outside, transferring from either a military or police force if they're really tough."

"There's a Japan Branch of the Keepers?" Usagi asked. "I wonder why I've never met the Administrator guy for this country."

"I asked that. Luna and Artemis are in charge of training us and issuing us orders. So when are we going to bust this 'doom bus'?" Makoto asked excitedly.

She giggled like a little girl.

"My first outing as a superhero, I can hardly wait!" she squealed giddily.

"Really?" Usagi and Naru asked, exasperated.

"Yep! Oh, hey, check out my transformation item!"

Makoto reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles.

"Would you believe a whole suit of armor comes from this?" she asked.

She slipped it onto her fingers. A perfect fit. Usagi, while looking at the knuckles, happened to Ami exiting the school.

"Oh, hey, Ami!" she shouted over to her.

Ami looked up from her reading at the tall brunette calling for her.

"Oh, Usagi, and Makoto and Naru, too," she replied.

She walked over to them, smiling.

"Hi, Ami," Usagi greeted. "So where were you off to? Cram School again?"

"Yes."

"Ugh. Don't you ever get tired of that? So you're taking the bus there?" Usagi asked.

"Is it that Crystal Seminar place," Makoto asked cautiously.

"No. Today I'm just studying for that history test on Friday," Ami replied good-naturedly. "If it's for cram school, I'd even take a plane. I _am_ hoping to be a doctor someday, after all. It takes a lot of hard work."

"Maybe you should start taking Usagi with you! You might end up being a good influence," Naru cracked.

Usagi let out a forced laugh and looked around anywhere but at Naru.

"Now where is that bus?" Usagi asked in desperate hopes to change the subject.

Ami giggled, taking the hint.

"So where are you three going?" Ami inquired.

"We're heading to Hikawa Shrine to buy love charms," Makoto answered.

Ami turned red immediately.

"I…see… Hey, wait, Hikawa Shrine. That's near where people have been getting abducted from, right?"

"Uh-huh. That's the one," Makoto said. "You've probably heard all about the doom bus that always shows up at 6 O'Clock. No one's been able to track it down."

Ami gave her friends a serious look.

"Well, you all be careful. I heard most of the victims are teenage girls just like us. I wouldn't even go at all if I were you," she said.

"Oh, you worry too much, Ami," Usagi said aloofly. "It's a shrine. What could happen?"

"If you say so…" Ami replied doubtfully.

"Hey, I know so. Relax," Usagi leaned in a deliberate show of ease.

"Well my bus has arrived," Ami said. "Well, I've heard the girl that lives at the shrine has psychic powers and can tell a very accurate fortune and that their amulets really do work. So can you get me one?"

"Sure thing! Leave it to me!" Makoto grinned.

"Okay, thank you, Mako," Ami replied graciously.

She got on the bus taking her in town, leaving the other three girls alone at the bus stop. A short time later theirs' arrived and they boarded. It was crowded inside and only the back seats had any place to sit. In the third seat from the back, they found a vacant seat which Usagi and Naru took, while Makoto sat behind them next to a sleeping old man.

* * *

"Ah, it'll be 6 O'Clock in a few hours," Rei said glancing at her wristwatch. "With archery club cancelled today, I'll have more time to prepare."

She was walking home from school, carrying both her schoolbag and her archery equipment. Her brow furrowed with determination.

"Today is the day I expel the evil that's snatching up young girls near our shrine!" her mind burned with this one thought.

She crossed the street onto the sidewalk out front of the shrine, treading towards it. A bus drove up nearby and began slowing to pull over.

"Oh, we're here," Naru chirped.

Usagi looked out the window at the shrine from the road. It was up high up a flight of ancient stone steps, but fairly visible. She then looked down at the staircase leading up to it and spotted a familiar looking raven head turning going up them.

"Hey, isn't that…" she murmured.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Usagi?" Makoto asked.

"Ah! Oh, nothing, I thought I just saw someone who looked familiar," Usagi replied, mind in two places at once.

"Okay. Well, come on, this is our stop," Makoto then said.

The trio exited the bus and took a look around the entrance before actually going up to the shrine.

"What do you think?" Makoto asked. "It looks pretty normal down here."

"I don't think we're going to find anything just standing on the sidewalk like this," Naru said.

"Is the problem actually in the shrine?" Usagi asked, worriedly.

"It'd have to be," Naru said. "The people are disappearing right after this leave this place."

Usagi looked up at Hikawa Shrine again. She hoped she'd been wrong about recognizing that priestess that helped her battle The Rake and save her friends that day. She hoped she wasn't involved in this.

* * *

Rei opened the door the door to the meditation room. She'd just changed into her shrine maiden outfit. The timber was already laid out neatly for ready to use. The young priestess took out a box of matches and lit it. She sat on her knees before it waving a shide over the flames starting the ritual. She bowed her head and concentrated. She now knew that something was trying to block her psychic abilities, since she had been able to predict a few aspects of the future with much effort. She had spent a lot of time punching through the darkness to the truth. She did so by tapping into that power she felt within herself the day she used her own energies in-junction with that warrior girl. She didn't know what it was, but ever since that day in that dark world, she knew it was there.

She let herself get swept up in the energies surrounding her. She saw darkness where she'd usually receive some kind of vision. She focused on the force that was causing people to vanish. It took a great amount of effort, but she managed to part the darkness.

She saw an image of the sidewalk out front of the shrine, and a black figure like a shadow walking right up the steps inside. It looked just like a shadow person she'd seen in an old photograph. After that, the vision was lost.

"This evil let itself in through the front gate?" she questioned internally. "I must press on."

* * *

Usagi trotted up to the top of the steps with Naru and Makoto close behind.

* * *

Rei gasped, feeling a presence nearby. She climbed to her feet and ran towards the front.

"I sense something. I t must be the evil spirit!"

* * *

Makoto whistled, impressed, getting a good look at the shrine now. Despite the simple and humble wooden design, it was large and well-tended. Whoever lived there took maintenance very seriously. Nothing seemed out of place for a shrine.

"So what are we looking for?" Usagi asked.

"No idea," Naru answered.

"Well, I'll go ask that girl over there, then," Usagi said.

She walked up to a girl in a brown school uniform was praying. Makoto shrugged and followed along, leaning her head back and resting them in her interlocked hands. Only Naru remained behind still looking all over the grounds from the entrance. She heard crows cawing and looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. Were they circling over Usagi?

"Hey, excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but have you seen anything weird go on up here?" Usagi asked the praying girl.

"Uh, no," she replied, a bit surprised at the question.

"Oh, I was just cur…KYAAA!"

The crows suddenly dive-bombed Usagi, trying to peck at her. Usagi covered her face and head with her hands and tried to get away from them. The girl she was speaking with backed away and ended up tripping over her own feet.

"Usagi!" Makoto and Naru's worried voiced rang out.

They dashed for their assailed friend. The front door of the shrine burst and Rei out raced wielding a paper ward. She spotted the crows, but more importantly, the spirit they were driving off.

"It's finally shown itself!" her thoughts registered.

Without giving it another thought, she bolted at the intruder with her ward held out in the front.

"EVIL SPIRIT, BEGONE!" she shouted.

With that, she shoved the ward into the intruder's face as hard as she could. The conk of the forehead knocked Usagi onto her back and she landed with a loud 'thud'. Only after the "evil spirit" was sprawled on the ground in a head trauma induced daze did she realize her mistake.

"H-Huh? It's just a girl," Rei uttered, stupefied.

Makoto and Naru exchanged quick but utterly dumbfounded looks. They dropped onto their knees beside their hapless friend to make certain she was well. Makoto gave Rei a peeved look.

"Hey, what the heck was that for?" Makoto demanded.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to be," Rei replied sheepishly.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Naru asked, cradling the blonde's head in her hands.

"EhHHhhhhHh~ HoLd tHE Mayo bUt MoRE KetCHuPPP," Usagi said uncomprehendingly back.

"I'll, uh, just be going now," the formerly praying girl awkwardly announced.

"Oh, man, what hit me?" Usagi moaned.

Usagi shook off the dizziness. She spotted Rei while leaning with her hands on her knees peering down at her.

"Hey…" Usagi said with recognition.

She sat, getting a better look. She was _definitel_y that shrine girl from that other time. Rei uncomfortably cleared her throat, broke eye contact out of embarrassment, and looked Usagi square on apologetically.

"Your name's Usagi, right? I'm sorry," Rei said sincerely.

"What happened?" Usagi asked dumbly.

"I made a mistake," Rei replied. "I sensed something unusual enter this shrine and thought it was an evil spirit. Then I saw my crows attacking you and assumed it was you. My name's Rei. Rei Hino."

Makoto helped Usagi to her feet.

"Why would you assume that?" Makoto asked skeptically.

Rei held her arm up level, and the crows took up perch on it on cue.

"My crows, Deimos and Phobos don't usually attack humans. Ever since this whole business with the missing girls began, they and I have been on edge, and jumped at the first person with even a slightly unique aura," Rei answered.

She turned to Usagi again.

"That's right, she's spiritually inclined," Usagi remembered.

"Been paying attention to the buzz about me, huh?" Rei asked.

"Uh, yeah…that's it," Usagi said unconvincingly.

Rei gave her a confused look. She turned to her crows and brought her arm up and down a few times prompting them to take off again.

"Oh, yeah, we heard about the disappearances. How are you guys holding up here?" Makoto asked.

"Fine, all things considered, but our reputation is on the rocks. …I don't want really want to talk about it," Rei replied somberly.

"Sorry," Makoto said.

"Forget about it," Rei replied.

"Have the police figured anything out yet? Do you have any idea how the culprit is doing it?" Naru asked.

Rei rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Ugh. For the last time, my visions don't work that way. I can predict coming events in a person's life, but I can't just see anything I want," Rei replied with annoyance.

Rei took a breath.

"Ah, man, sorry for snapping, but you have no idea how many people I get asking about things I won't necessarily be able to answer. Especially now, people are up in my face demanding that I find their kids."

"It's alright," Usagi and Naru said disarmingly.

An awkward silence settled in between the girls. Usagi gave the shrine a once over trying to find something to break it.

"Hey, what's over there in the shrine shop?" Usagi asked.

"Come on. I'll show you," Rei answered, gesturing for them to follow.

Rei lead Usagi and Makoto over to it, but Naru lagged behind browsing near the front door. She tried to see if she could spot something through the trees around the yard. Then the front door opened and a young man with long orange hair peeked his head out and looked at Rei.

"Miss Rei, the sacred timbers have been replaced. You can meditate again at any time," he called.

Naru's body felt like it had iced over. That voice. It was all too recognizable to her. She didn't want to look, but with her body resisting, her head turned to face the man at the open door. It was him! That man from her mother's store! She felt chills making her grow even colder.

"Thank you, Siggie," Rei called.

"You're welcome, Miss Rei" Zoicite replied.

His eyes shot her way for a second before he stepped back into the temple to close to door, but then he took another look at her. She took a tiny step away, her eyes wide and her lid trembling. He smiled almost pleasantly at her. Then he winked and held a finger up to his lips. She nodded her head stiffly, slowly and cautiously following after the others.

He closed the door and she sped over to Usagi and Makoto. At the shop, Rei was showing them all the different kinds of wards and charms they had. The two seemed intent on examining every single kind they had. Naru skidded to a stop right behind Usagi. She held up two shaking and fretting little fists in front.

"Usagi! Usagi!" she whispered franticly.

"Oh, hi, Naru, check these out! These are supposed to be for Luck during school exams! And here's a Love Charm! Here's a Get-Well one I'm buying to take to your mom!"

"That's nice, but…" Naru said.

"We also have a 5:30 Love Blessing, but you'd have to wait around for an hour," Rei added.

"Usagi…" Naru tried again.

"Love Blessing!" Usagi and Makoto cried eagerly.

"Receive the blessing and you're guaranteed to find what you're looking for in your love life," Rei said with a wink.

"Usagi, really, you need to…"

"Really!" Usagi and Makoto again exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, yeah, so make sure you're here in an hour's time, okay!" Rei replied cheerfully.

"What do you think?" Makoto asked, leaning in close to Usagi. "Think it'll really work?"

"It's worth a shot," Usagi replied.

"Oh, totally! It's been way too long since I've had a boyfriend," Makoto whispered excitably.

"Guys, please!" Naru whispered nervously, looking over her shoulder for that one.

"You've had a boyfriend before?" Usagi asked.

"A few months ago, but getting kicked out of a school for teaching some creeps a lesson or two made it hard to stay together," Makoto replied sadly.

Naru growled chagrinned behind them. She took in a quick, deep breath to scream at them.

"Hello!" Grandpa Hibiki jumped out of nowhere.

Naru squeaked out of surprised. Hibiki gave the three all of them a once over while scratching his chin thoughtfully. Usagi, Makoto, and Rei looked down at the short, squat old man holding a shide.

"My, aren't you girls lovely. Want to as part-time shrine maidens?" he said welcomingly.

"Ugh," Rei moaned, rolling her eyes.

Usagi giggled, remembering the funny old man, while Makoto gave him an entertained grin.

"Well, we're really not here for that," Naru replied. "We just came here to pray and maybe buy some amulets."

"Oh, don't you want to stick around for the Love Blessing?" Hibiki asked.

"Well, I don't know if we have time…" Naru answered inconclusively.

Hibiki threw his head back in an energetic laugh.

"I know, I know! I was kidding!" he said.

He checked his watch.

"Well, it might be an hour early, but what the heck. Stand in a row right here, girls, and I'll give you a quick, unofficial Love Blessing!"

"You really mean it!" Usagi and Makoto asked with baited breath.

"Oh, brother…" Rei and Naru muttered.

"Of course, of course! After I conduct this special ceremony just for you, your love will come true!"

Usagi and Makoto gasped in delight, and broke into a giggling fit jumping up and down like children half their age.

"Usagi, Makoto, we really don't have tiii-waaaaugh!"

Naru was grabbed by the hands and pulled over to a spot in front of the shrine lined with Usagi and Makoto on either side of her.

"Now to begin," Hibiki said.

He began to wave the shide he held back and forth in front of them while chanting. While Usagi and Makoto bowed while receiving, Naru crossed her hands while rapping her fingers against her arm impatiently.

"O god of flames! Please make sure these girls' thoughts reach their boys, and make their wishes come true!"

Then he stopped, faced them, bowed his head, and held the shide up on its side.

"And done!" he announced.

"Thank you," Usagi and Makoto said.

"You girls came a good distance out, right? Those school uniforms are from the other end of the district," he said. "Say, wanna draw a fortune slip?"

"That's enough, Grandpa!" Rei cried, at the end of her wits. "We don't need to reinforce those _other _bad rumors about you floating around!"

"What fortune slips?" Usagi asked.

Naru, having had quite enough of her attempts to alert her friends going ignored, reached up towards both of them. She performed the ultimate technique of getting the attention of one who is oblivious. She pinched their ears.

"Ow! Ow! Naru, hey what the heck!" Usagi whined.

"Hey, let go!" Makoto demanded.

"Excuse me, Grandpa Priest and Rei, but we need to be going," Naru said gruffly.

"We do?" Usagi and Makoto asked.

"_**Yes.**_"

"Okay, see you later, Rei, and thanks for the blessing, Grandpa Priest!" Usagi called over to the residents of Hikawa Shrine.

"You're welcome," Hibiki waved to them.

"Come back anytime," Rei said.

Then, once the trio went back down to the sidewalk.

"Did you find something?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, boy, _did I ever_! The other guy! Do you remember the other guy? He came out and told Rei that he'd prepared something for her meditation, I think," Naru explained.

"Yeah, but I didn't get a good look," Usagi answered.

"_I did._ It was _him_! That man who brain-wiped everyone at mom's store and sicced that monster on you and Phantom Mask after you chased him out onto the street! I saw his face, so I'm sure!"

"Zoicite!" Usagi said, disdainfully. "Of course it'd be him!"

"Time to go to work, then," Makoto said.

She pulled out her transformation item and slipped it onto her fingers. Usagi did the same, gripping her hilt tightly.

"Okay, Naru, here's where you go home. Things are about to get messy," Usagi said. "You're a great help. If you didn't spot him by the door we'd still have no idea he was even here."

"It was nothing," Naru shrugged modestly. "Anyway, you guys take care."

They gave her the thumb's up, and then headed towards the shrine. Usagi pulled out her mobile phone and dialed up Luna as they went. Naru went over the bus stop and sat down on the bench, waiting for her ride home.

Usagi and Makoto stopped and leaned against the concrete wall along the inside of the sidewalk, waiting for Luna to pick up. Unseen from above, Zoicite stared down at Naru.

"I think today is a day of exceptions. If the Love Blessing can come a little early, then so can the doom bus," Zoicite mused.

* * *

Rei slid open the door into the meditation room once more.

"Alright, let's give this another go," she said to no one in particular.

* * *

"We're on it. Bye," Usagi said, and hanged up the line.

She nodded at Makoto.

"Alright, we're going in. Let's bust this doom bus," she said.

"Yeah, you go Junior Detectives!" a voice sardonically said behind them.

Both Usagi and Makoto jumped in surprise with a little cry. Makoto whirled around to see Mamoru leaning on the wall beside them.

"ARG! Not you again!" Usagi yelled, annoyed.

"Yikes. Don't use that shrill voice. We sure do seem to run into each other an awful lot," Mamoru replied sourly.

He looked at Makoto.

"And you're the one who threw a can at my head."

"Good shot, Mako!" Usagi congratulated her.

"Uh…" Makoto stammered out uncomfortably.

Then she cleared her throat.

"So, what brings you here?" Makoto asked him.

"Motoki's mom came down the flu," he replied. "I always see this shrine when I commute to campus, so I'm here to get her a Get Well Amulet."

"So tin man does have a heart after all... Say, since you're a bus commuter, do you know anything about the doom bus that always arrives at 6 O'Clock?" Usagi asked.

"I have, but I don't know any more than you," he replied. "It's this route that it supposedly takes, actually. So many weird things are happening lately."

Mamoru's serious face as he explained this reminded Usagi so much of Phantom Mask, and she felt her heart beat speed up looking at him. She turned away from him, blushing.

"Why is my heart racing?" she asked herself.

Mamoru and Makoto both looked at her oddly.

"So…what were you two doing, anyway? What? Do you think you're both soldiers of justice or something?" Mamoru asked, using very specific wording.

Usagi and Makoto both laughed nervously.

"Don't be ridiculous! It's nothing like that! Us, soldiers of justice? Come on," Makoto cried.

"Oh, uh…okay. Forget I said anything," Mamoru dismissed the point.

"Anyway, you two shouldn't be getting involved. It _is_ teenage girls that are getting snatched, after all," he then added.

* * *

"What is going to happen next? What will happen next? Why do lovestruck girls disappear right under our noses?" Rei concentrated.

She looked deep inside herself for the inner strength to overcome the blockage. She thought of that energy she used when working together with that warrior girl. She found it. Suddenly, it was like dark clouds unveiled and the sun comes out after a storm. Rei gasped at the fact that a vision was coming in clear as sight. She saw a place of ice and the girls that had disappeared! They were lying huddled and perfectly still like they were dead. Standing over them was…Siggie? Only he wasn't Siggie. He was dressed in a uniform like military men wore, hovering over the girls like a vulture, a mad grin on his face.

Rei almost lost concentration at this revelation, but she struggled to keep focus. When she did, her vision changed. This time, she saw a bus and one of the girls that had just visited the shrine stepped onto it and into darkness. She gasped. She also saw Siggie assaulting the one named Usagi by strangling her. Then a rush of dark energy hit her like something was forcing its way into this plain of existence. She knew what it meant.

"Oh, no! They're in danger! I have to hurry! The doom bus is coming right now!" she exclaimed.

She practically flew through the shrine out to the front.

* * *

The bus stopped and the driver opened the door.

"Time to go," Naru thought.

She got up and climbed inside. She walked past the driver towards the rows of seats, and immediately noticed something was off. All the passengers were sitting limply in their seats. The sound of the door closing behind made her jump.

"Take a seat, ma'am," the driver said.

Naru's breath caught in her throat when she recognized the faces of the disappeared girls from the news. She faced the front reaching for the door handle, but the driver grabbed her by the wrist and threw her back into the main body of the bus. She landed on the floor painfully, and looked up at the driver.

"Please, let me go!" she begged.

"Too late for that, miss," the driver replied, making a rasping chuckle.

He grabbed the gear shift, and took the transport out of park.

* * *

"WAIT!" Rei shouted.

Usagi, Mamoru, and Makoto looked up at her as she dashed down the steps.

"Stop that bus!" she shouted.

She pushed past them running right at it as it slowly started to roll away. Usagi and Makoto didn't know what was going on, but they gave chase anyway. Only Mamoru didn't pursue.

Rei caught up to with a paper ward readied.

"Do or die, Rei," she thought.

She leapt onto the steps under the bus's door. When she did, it opened suddenly. The driver grabbed the surprised girl by the front of her haori and dragged her inside, closing it behind him.

"REI!" Usagi and Makoto yelled.

They were both running as hard as they could after the vehicle now.

* * *

"EVIL SPIRIT, BEGONE!" Rei commanded.

She slapped the paper ward against the clutching arm of the driver. Nothing seemed to happen, but his normal tan skin suddenly turned dark blue, his hair went white, his ears ended in points, and his eyes turned yellow. Other than that, he didn't change size, shape, or even clothes. He still wore the bus driver uniform.

He looked at her unconcerned

"Satisfied yet, human? I'm not some demon you can exorcize. I'm what the Norsemen called a Dark Elf."

He shoved her back against Naru.

"Take your seat. You're going to be staying a while."

* * *

The bus turned into a back road followed quickly by the two warriors. As soon as they were out of Mamoru's sights, they transformed. The girl behind Moon's armor was scared of what would happen next, but innocent people, as well as her friends, were inside that bus. In a single bound, they were only a few yards behind it. The sound of buzzing pierced the air.

"What's that?" Jupiter asked.

A ball hole opened up on the road ahead of the bus. It swallowed the bus up as it passed through and immediately began to close.

"Oh, no! We are not losing you now!" Moon shouted determinedly.

A nod passed between Moon and Jupiter and they jumped for all their worth at the receding fourth-dimensional vortex. Moon chucked her Recall Stone onto the ground just before they passed through. Out of the corner of her eye, Moon faintly noticed a third figure entering with them. In place of the city street was now an arctic wasteland. Clouded over skies were overhead, but the ice had a shine of its own that lit the area. The Warriors entered this frozen realm about fifteen feet in the air and landed roughly on the snow. All around them, towering banks of snow and ice. They noted that their armor seemed to be keeping them warm. The bus floated over to the summit of a large, icy hill. It came to rest atop the mound. Moon looked around for the elusive third stranger to this realm but saw no one.

"That's strange. I could have sworn…"

"Get down," Jupiter said.

Moon and Jupiter hid behind a large stalagmite when Zoicite appeared. The Dark Elf came out dragging a shivering Rei and Naru with a pair of heavy coats draped around their shoulders. Their hands were bound in ropes which he lead them by. Rei glared hatefully at Zoicite.

"Oh man, why did I bring Naru here?" Usagi asked, regretfully. "I am such an idiot."

"Good work, Balko, but the bait is a little more lively than usual," Zoicite said.

"What do you want done with these two?" Balko asked.

"Just tether the ropes to the ground here. We have other guests that followed them here."

"The Warriors and some Keepers? About time," Balko said.

The elf reached into his pocket and pulled out two iron stakes He tied them in the ropes. Then the stakes glowed and stuck themselves into the ground.

"So, _Siggie_, if that is your real name, I have just one question: why? And where do you take us?"

"Siggie isn't his real name," Naru said. "It's Zoicite, and he's a servant of The Dark Kingdom."

Zoicite's grinned deepened.

"So you remember, peasant? Good. Why? Well, it's not that difficult to answer. You see, I have to job to do, one that allows me to do what I love: make the pathetic race of ingrates that humans have become tremble and cower. Welcome to Niflheim, Land of the Dead, girls."

"You animal," Rei said reproachfully. "Just what do you think gives you the right play vengeful god over people like this?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Zoicite's jovial demeanor vanished, turning as cold as the ice world around them.

"What gives me the right?" Zoicite asked. "This."

He gathered power in his hand and aimed it at the girls, who both glared back him defiantly.

"You have spirit, I'll give you both that," Zoicite said.

Before he could kill them a lightning bolt struck the ground near him. The shock knocked him off his feet. He managed to roll himself over to see Moon and Jupiter jump onto the edge of the summit. Rei and Naru began to fiercely pull on the stakes holding them to no avail.

"Hold it right there, Zoicite," Moon hollered. "Today, you're going down!"

"Balko, if you would do the honors," Zoicite said.

The elf rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers. All over, decaying hands burst up from the earth and snow, some bearing shields and a weapon. Frost-bitten forms of armored men climbed out of unmarked graves in all directions, but in particular, they formed a rank between the Warriors and the bus. The undead stood at attention before their master.

"Of course," Moon said unhappily.

"Cursed Soldiers of Eras Past, bound Undead to the plain! Slay those two!" Balko ordered.

The ice zombies hissed, snarled, and wailed as they began their attack on Moon and Jupiter.

"Remember the Recall Stones we showed you?" Moon asked.

"Yeah, so?" Jupiter asked.

"Naru's should still be in her bag on the bus. We'll break through these guys as soon as we can and rush the baddies. Then we get Naru and Rei onto the bus and get out of here!"

"Sounds like a plan, let's do it!" Jupiter confirmed.

The Warriors screamed a battle cry charging the incoming ranks of animated corpses. Moon launched herself forward at one, which raised its shield protectively. Her sword tore right through it and then another behind it. Their places were taken by others that slashed at Moon, forcing her to parry.

She cleaved a blade across from the right, dissecting the second attacker's arm at the elbow. However, the undead was unaffected and rammed her with its shield. She moved back in pace with it, and split its head open from the top. It keeled over immediately. The first she knocked down lunged at her, but she impaled it skull on her sword, and it fell limp immediately.

"Aim for their heads!" she called.

"Got it!" Jupiter replied.

Jupiter surged forward with lightning gathered at both fists. Then he punched straight forward with both. Two bolts of electricity struck several undead warriors exploding their upper bodies. Jupiter jumped back away from a spear that was thrown at her. Then something struck her chest plate. An arrow. She looked up spotting ranks of undead archers aiming at her. She threw her hands up over her face just in time to protect herself from a volley of arrows. Then she jumped straight up and came down at the zombie hordes with a ball of lightning collected at her fingertips, completely shattering several bodies at once.

Moon swung her blade dropping another zombie, and then blocked another sword strike and then cleaved her attacker's skull in half. She was tackled from the side and stabbed her blade straight down on the top of its head, dropping the bony creature. A spear lunge came in the behind, which she leaned to the left moving her hips all the way to the side to avoid and then parried two more sword strokes at once. She jumped back away from them to avoid getting overwhelmed. She dug her boots into the ground determined, and the blades began to glow. She advanced on them again. With sheer momentum she cut all three of them down only to lose it the instant three more stepped up. Then with a single stroke, she felled four at once. Then she leapt forward cutting down two more before being forced to back up.

Jupiter was having just as little luck making headway. Their weapons had longer range than her fists. She ducked into a crouching position under another sword stroke and shattered the beast with another bolt of lightning. Then she quickly gathered more energy as they swarmed in with their deadly weapons raised.

"BACK! OFFFFF!" she shrieked.

Jupiter shot up shooting lightning in all directions causing bones, flesh and gear to explode in all directions, but the void left was fast filled by yet more. Jupiter leapt back to the edge of the summit to avoid getting surrounded.

An arrow struck Moon's skirt. The armor mostly protected the leg underneath, but the point did get through just enough to cut. Moon winced and pulled it. More archers were ready to fire on her now that she was out in the open. She spun the blades out in front of her creating a shield of the energy it generated. The little darts bounced harmlessly off her barrier, but she could see more of the melee fighters coming in and knew she'd have to drop it. She jumped into the air, and the arrows landed harmlessly where she just was. She dropped the shield and raised the sword over her head.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

She threw the weapon which tore through the ranks of archers that had fired on her. Alas, while she was still overhead, she spotted more coming up the hill. She landed next to Jupiter. The undead were closing in all around and the two stood back-to-back.

The first tried to cut Moon from above, but she parried with one blade and lopped the beast's head off with the other. Jupiter gritted the ax handle and bopped its wielder's head away. Out of the corner of her eye, Moon spotted one of the undead aiming a lance thrust at Jupiter. So she swung one of her blades up, negating the blow and spun other around cutting the walking dead down. A burst of lightning and a flying femur next to her alerted her to the fact that Jupiter had just returned the favor.

* * *

"They are quite good, aren't they?" Balko sad.

"Yes, but the infinite number of undying warriors littering these lands will soon exhaust them and they will become as one with these legions," Zoicite commented.

Rei and Naru watched the two Warriors fending off a never-ending wave of enemies.

"We have to do something," Naru whispered to Rei.

"I know, but what?" the raven replied.

Rei looked down at the stake holding her in place, and got onto her knees. She gripped the ice surface of the iron and focused. That power. That power she'd felt and used before in-junction with that Moon Warrior girl, and had punched through the darkness this Zoicite had cast over her vision. She had to use it. She calmed down and looked deep within herself for it again.

Naru watched the meditating girl, wondering what she thought she was doing, but did nothing to interrupt her. To her amazement, Rei's hands glowed with a dull red. She pulled on the stake again. The stake gave away a little, but ultimately it held in place. Rei grunted and pulled harder. The glow grew brighter.

Balko took notice of it and looked at her. His eyes widened when he saw Rei's body glowing. He tapped Zoicite on the shoulder to get his attention.

"What?"

"Look."

"Oh, relax, she'll never pull free without fully awakening."

* * *

"Archers coming in!" Jupiter yelled.

"Ger behind me and keep the close-range guys off me!" Moon ordered.

"Roger!"

Moon generated the spinning wave shield again and the arrows pounded against it while Jupiter fought off incoming hordes behind her.

* * *

Naru looked worriedly from them back to Rei. Rei's tense body pulled on the stake with one more tug that she put all her strength and weight into. She pulled, and she pulled, and pulled.

"It…isn't…budging…" Rei thought.

Finally, she gave up on pulling it from the ground. Her muscles relaxed as she sunk to the ground. It was no use. Zoicite smiled smugly down at the girl. She returned it with a sneer of her own. Zoicite turned back to the Warriors fighting off the Undead.

An undead shadow slinked out from under the bus right behind the captives, slithering up beside them. He cupped his hands over their mouths, which muffled their surprised screams. He shushed them. Rei and Naru looked at him and recognized him as Phantom Mask. He pulled a knife from his belt and cut the ropes around their hands.

"So what do we do with the girls when they're no good as bait anymore?" Balko asked.

"We just leave them here. What use do we have for them now?" Zoicite shrugged.

"Moon! Jupiter! Pull back!" Mask suddenly shouted.

Zoicite and Balko both wheeled around and saw Mask disappear over the side of the hill with Rei and Naru.

"Mask! He came!" Moon asked lovingly.

"Right. Cool. Let's go!" Jupiter deadpanned, and pulled Moon over the side.

"Idiots. They have no place to go," Zoicite replied, chuckling.

* * *

" Naru! Rei!" Moon cried.

She ran up and embraced the two in a hug. Naru returned it while Rei stood there with a perplexed look. She awkwardly patted Moon on the back. Moon broke the embrace and turned to Mask.

"Thank you, Mask," Moon said.

"Think nothing of it," he said.

"Incoming!" Jupiter yelled. "They're closing in and look, more archers!"

They group turned back to back. They were in a wide open area next to the bluff with many pathways leading to it. The reanimated cadavers were pouring in from all directions.

"Crap! We're boxed in! Guess we're doing this the hard way!" Jupiter shouted.

"Not a lot of time!" Mask put in.

He pointed to Rei and Naru, who were shivered terribly in the icy temperatures even with the heavy coats Balko had given them.

"We're just fine, but these two won't last long. We can't waste time to just wading through seas of these guys. We need a plan to get out of here quickly!" Mask insisted.

He glanced around and spotted a narrow rut sandwiched between rock a wall of snow and ice.

"This way," he called and ran towards it.

"Just a sec, I can buy us a moment to get away," Rei said.

She grabbed Moon's arm.

"Here, let me have some of your power like last time," Rei said.

"Uh, sure," Moon complied.

Rei pulled a paper ward out from her haori. Then she focused her enemies while speaking a prayer. Moon allowed her energy to flow with the other girl's. Rei's aura began to glow red again.

"Hey…" Moon thought. "That power feels just like Jupiter's and my own."

"Evil spirits be gone!" Rei shouted.

She threw the ward at the impending spooks. It landed on a nearby rock in the middle of the clearing. When the revenants tried to enter, they were knocked down like they'd hit an invisible wall.

"That was a seal. It should keep them out of the time being," Rei said.

She then noticed the way Moon, Jupiter, and Mask stared at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"We'll explain in a minute, let's go!" Mask repeated.

They had to go single-file, but they managed to get while the horde was preoccupied getting past Rei's seal.

* * *

"The Dead have lost sight of them," Balko reported.

"No matter, they'll come to us. Just sit tight," Zoicite replied in a laidback manner.

* * *

The party caught their breath in a ditch.

"They're not very fast, but dang if there isn't a whole army's worth," Jupiter complained.

Moon looked at Rei again, and approached her.

"Rei, do you have any idea where you get this power from?" she asked.

"I thought I got it from Grandpa. He also has strong spiritual powers. For a moment, it felt like our energies were the same. Why?" Rei asked.

"I think it's obvious," Mask said thoughtfully. "You're a sleeping Celestial Warrior, Rei Hino."

"Eh?" Rei replied. "You mean I'm like these two?"

"Actually, yeah. You just need to awaken. We could really use another fighter right now," Jupiter replied.

Rei raised a brow skeptically.

"Alright, I'll bite. Anything to get out of the frozen hellhole, but how the hell am I supposed to awake?!"

Moon held Rei's hands in her own, interlocking the fingers.

"Usually, there's someone around who can unseal the Warrior in you, but in this case I guess we'll have improvise. Alright, Rei, concentrate and feel the power in me. Then search for that same power inside you."

Rei closed her eyes and did as Moon told her.

"Whoa," Jupiter uttered as they all watched her body glow with that red gleam again.

"I can feel it, but how do I wake it up?" Rei thought.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to call it using every meditation discipline she'd ever learned to do so. Minutes passed and nothing happened. Moon and the others exchanged looks, not knowing what to do. Moon recalled that both times a Warrior awakened, something happened to bring their heart rate to a peak. So she drew back a booted foot and kicked Rei in the shin.

"OW! Hey you-!" Rei screamed, hopping about gripping the hurt shin.

Before she could finish her entire convulsed with a sudden rush of energy which exploded into a flame. The fires reached up into the sky from which another object fell screaming towards the blooming Warrior. Rei reached up and grabbed the instant it was close enough and was clothed in light for a second. When the light faded out, before them stood Celestial Warrior Mars, garbed in her red battled gear, holding aloft her bow.

She lowered her arm and examined herself.

"Alright, we got another one!" Moon celebrated. "Now we can-OW! Hey, stop that!"

Clang! Clang! Mars proceeded to kick Moon a couple more times before stopping.

"That hurt, ya jerk! See how you like it, eh?! Eh?! What the hell was that?!"

"Well, I needed to surprise somehow!" Moon shouted. "So it seemed like a good idea! What did you want me to do? Kiss ya?!"

Mars recoiled at that statement.

"You're just full of bad ideas, you know that!" Mars bellowed, red-faced.

"Guys…" Naru said.

"Like yours' are any better! You 'plan' was to jump onto the demon bus and get yourself caught!" Moon shot back.

"Well, at least I don't just kick people with a _metal_ boot!" Mars retorted.

Naru suddenly cut in between them pointing above them.

"Dead people at 4 O'Clock!" Naru shouted.

Moon and Mars's look up at seven of the Dead coming down the slope with an archer staying behind at the top. Moon got in front of Mars. Jupiter and Mask dashed up beside her. Mars reached for the arrows in her quiver and only find she didn't have one.

"What the…? I don't have arrows?! How am I supposed to shoot this thing?"

Mask caught the Dead's ax chop with his sword and the brought the blade up into its face. Jupiter squatted down into a low stance and pushed herself at her opponent with one arm drawn back surging with electrical energy. Then she rolled into a punch straight forward that connected with the Dead's shield and all that energy heaved it exploded its body. Moon parried one stroke, then spun her blades around to block the other, and then changed the spin's direction unexpectedly cutting down both opponents.

The archer took aim and fired on Mars. She dipped down holding her hands protectively over her face with a whimper. Upon feeling the dart connect with his shoulder blade, she shook with fear and accidentally discharged fire directly overhead.

Naru fell back onto the ground, startled. Mars had felt the energy erupt through her and felt the fire's heat. She looked down at her hands puzzling.

"Did that come out of me?"

Jupiter held both hands out in front interlocking the fingers except for the indexes, which pointed straight forward at the archer. A bolt shot out incinerating the entire upper half of its body. Mars watched her do it and then concentrated on controlling her own power. She held up a hand and willed the flame into existence. Then for a second, the fire sparked in her palm briefly taking the shape of something. Then it extinguished and was lost. Mars narrowed her eyes and tried again. This time she kept control of it. The fires returned taking on the form of a flaming arrow. She looked at the red bow she held and notched it. The string did not catch fire and. She looked up at the top of the ditch, hearing the footsteps of more approaching Dead.

Her fellow Warriors and Mask took notice of her progress.

"Alright, now we're talking!" Jupiter cheered.

More Dead appeared at the top of the trench. Experimentally, Mars fired on one of them. The flaming projectile hit its target exploding the head. The frost-bitten body fell limp on the snow underneath. The three quickly dispatched the Dead with their ranged attacks. While they backs were turned, Naru collapsed on her knees. Her teeth were chattering. Moon took noticed and went to her friend's side.

"Naru!" Moon cried.

"She's not going to last much longer," Mask said. "It's not or never."

"Alright, give me a sec…" Moon said.

She mind reeled for a plan. She looked around at their assets.

"Let's see…uh…" she said.

"Here," Mask said.

He took Naru by the shoulders and helped her to her feet.

"I'll watch over Naru, but with her in this condition the going won't be quick," he said.

"Alright…" Moon said. "You sneak her onto the bus. There's a Recall Stone inside. Jupiter, the newbie, and I…"

"I'm Mars," Mars said. "This symbol on my chest plate is the sign of the planet Mars."

"_We'll_ attack them head on and take out Zoicite. Mars, see that tall rock over there. I want you on top of that. It's too steep for the Dead to climb up after you. Cover us, okay," Moon finished.

"Gotcha!" Mars said.

She gave a mock salute and ran towards the towering formation.

"We go. Now!" Moon ordered.

"Right!" Jupiter and Mask said.

Then they split. Mask took Naru by the hand and led her along the ditch while Moon and Jupiter jumped out screaming at the top of their lungs to draw attention to themselves. Mars made to her perch in a full leap and a small hop. She surveyed the area below and spotted an spear bearer aiming a throw at Mask and Naru. She drew a fiery shot taut and fired. She hit it dead on.

Her view turned to Moon and Jupiter, who were about to be intercepted by a group of a twenty or more. Moon and Jupiter raced past a hill slant into midst of the Dead. One of them was able to bound forward to attack Moon with its short sword and hatchet. She deflected the strike and counter-attacked, but it blocked with its hatchet. Jupiter fried the attacker before jumping over the tip of a spear. Moon cut Jupiter's attacker down in return. Three of the Dead came at Moon, one from the front and two the back. She brought one of the blades up across her back saving herself from taking a hit between the shoulders. Then she swung her sword across the front parrying a blow with the other blade. One of Mars's arrows took care of the one in front of her, so now the ones that'd just tried to backstab her had her full attention.

The first blade came down one both their forearms cutting them off and the other spun up towards their heads. Both dropped onto their knees and then their sides. She pivoted on her feet and carved another that tried to get sneaky in half from top to bottom. Mars took care of another one that tried to came up from behind.

Jupiter's feet left the ground up into a jumping sidekick into the Dead's face. Then she went spin throwing her leg straight out in a side ax kick. The bolt blasted both Dead her foot connected with. This was followed by a roundhouse and a spinning jump kick. Then she jumped back to avoid getting clubbed in the head, but one of the Dead took this opportune moment when she jumped into range of his halberd to jabbed her in the stomach around between the scales of armor. She cried out and stepped, holding her side. The wound wasn't too deep, but it served its purpose as a reminder of mortality. A dead soldier advanced with his halberd raised and dropped it down with all his might.

Jupiter lunged forward evading the impact as she went by swinging her entire body to side before stepping back in front of her target. She slammed her fist into his chest. His body burst in all directions. Another jabbed at her with its sword, which she countered by swinging her leg first in and then down on it, making the walking dead stab only ice. An electrified uppercut made short work of him. A fiery dart struck and felled the last opponent in that cluster. So the Warriors continued their trek towards their quarry.

* * *

Mask and Naru looked as three undead soldiers shuffled down at them. Mask slashed at the first before it got too close, but it blocked him with its shield and thrust straight out from the side. The blades met and parted. Mask tried a downward slice, but old soldier simply raised his shield and stabbed at him from underneath it. Mask jumped back and a second dead came at him with a long sword.

It sliced its sword across aiming for his head. Mask ducked and rammed it knocking it into the first. The two undead fell over into a pile leaving only the last standing. The third carried a pair of hatchets. Its first strike was with one hatchet and then the other. Mask swung his sword in a sideways eight pattern to block and parry each bash. Finally, he brought the blade up on its side to bloke the first and swept it up blocking the second blow without disengaging the first and then down onto its other side in one motion. With both its hatchets trapped underneath Mask's sword, it was wide open and fell by his hand.

The undead wielding a long sword advanced first lunging in with its sword extended out. Mask redirected the attempted impalement from below causing it to go off balance. A quick jab to its neck and it was down, leaving only the one with the shield. He ran at it with his sword held high for a downward swing. The undead hunched down and raised its shield again. Only instead of attacking with his sword, Mask jumped up onto the shield pressing all his weight on it. The undead couldn't bear the weight and fell onto its back. One sweep down and across and it was done.

He turned back to Naru holding his shoulder painfully.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I took a couple of hits last night, but I'm fine."

"…If you say so," she said.

* * *

Moon and Jupiter came up onto the summit. Zoicite approached them, his sword drawn. Balko watched peeking around the corner of the side of the bus.

"Very impressive," Zoicite praised. "You're growing stronger and awakening your allies, Celestial Warrior Moon, but you won't beat me."

They didn't waste any time. Moon charged ground level. Jupiter heaved herself up and came at him from above. Zoicite didn't move. Not an inch. He waited for them with an expecting smile. Moon's blade flew down across at an angle. Zoicite gripped his sword at the top and bottom, bracing himself on the ground before taking the full brunt of the attack, and then he zipped up out of reach just a Jupiter battered the ground.

Then he came straight back down at Jupiter with his sword aimed at her. She flipped out of the way leaving him stabbing snow. Moon took a giant step forward putting all her weight into jamming the energized sword into him. Zoicite threw up his own just to time for the flat of his blade to take the full brunt of the physical attack. The blades connected and Zoicite's was shattered by the combine force of the attack and the discharge of magic. It was like a small explosion going off and blasting him away. He landed on the snowy ground and rolled before settling.

He got up and summoned another sword into his hand, but the girls were already mere feet from him. He vanished and reappeared behind them, and before they could react, he unleashed two energy blasts in their direction. The girls yelped as they were struck and slammed against the side of the bus. They slid down and dropped onto the icy earth. Jupiter gripped her shoulder painfully. It had been dislocated by the impact. The searing pain in Moon's back was so bad it felt like she was on fire. She gritted her teeth and hissed in agony.

They climbed to their feet with difficulty facing him again. Jupiter grabbed her shoulder bone and jammed it back into place, shrieking in agony when she did. She dropped onto her knees as the pain shot through her body.

"Jupiter? Jupiter!" Moon cried.

She knelt down beside her ally with a worried look.

"I'm fine. No more games. This guy goes down," Jupiter strained to say.

She got backup, moving her arm around in circles to loosen the joint back up. She groaned gravely as the movement sent spikes of pain down her arm and shoulder. This time it was Zoicite's turn to take the initiative. He sped forward leaning into the run with his arms back. Both warriors prepared for it, but then he split into three and there were three Zoicites coming at them.

Moon swept a blade across in front, unleashing a wave of pure energy at them while Jupiter turned around and saw another Zoicite coming in from behind them. She threw herself forward into a deep forward stance and let loose a shot of lightning. Moon's attack passed through the illusions, dispelling them. Jupiter attack went right through the fourth into the ground.

"What…?" Moon and Jupiter said.

Suddenly Zoicite was right next to them with two lances hovering on either side of him aimed right at their heads. The pointed poles flew towards their targets. Moon's body moved on its own, and as it brought up the blades they gleamed with power and shattered the oncoming lance. A fire arrow collided with the lance careering towards Jupiter. It spun out in the air and landed harmlessly in the snow. Zoicite cast a sideward glare towards Mars, but he couldn't see her on her high perch.

"Yeee-aaaah!"

His attention turned back to Moon and Jupiter and saw another of Moon's waves of energy coming at him augmented by Jupiter's lightning. He cast magical shield around himself with nary a second to spare. The joined forces of the attacked cracked his defenses and several smaller blasts of energy and electricity pierced him. The force slid him back.

Before he could react again he was struck dead in the chest by another of Jupiter's bolts. He slammed down, twitching. He gripped the charred and blackened spot on his chest and looked on Moon through squinted eyes as she bore down on him. With brow wrinkled as he concentrated and teleported over to the other side of the bus just in time to avoid her slash.

He reappeared about three meters away next to the bus as her blow came up empty. Balko leaned against it watching with fear. Moon and Jupiter saw him immediately and set upon him again. Zoicite levitated back, but himself facing Mars. She had an arrow drawn back and aimed. She fired. Zoicite tried to raise another shield, but it was too late. He succeeded in knocked it off course only enough that pierced his chest just below the left collar bone. He cried out and fell to the ground. The arrow's fire went out while Zoicite crawled backwards into the back of the bus and awkwardly climbed to the feet. Movements just to his right made him turn just in time to see Mask jump out from the other side of the transport and cut him across the chest. Zoicite coughed up blood and fell onto his back.

Then Mask turned to Balko, who was about to flee, but he grabbed the elf and pushed him back against the side of the bus and held his sword to his throat.

"Call off your dead," Mask ordered roughly.

Balko whimpered pitifully as all three of the celestial warriors crowded around him as well.

"Well, are you going to or not?" Jupiter asked. "What'll it be?"

"Give me a reason," Mars growled. "Just give me one."

Zoicite glared up at Balko, who returned the stare.

"Screw this! You're not paying me enough to die for this!" Balko yelled.

Balko snapped his fingers again. Moon and the others looked around, and sure enough, the dead soldiers were staggering back to their holes and covering themselves back over with dirt. The elf then pushed on Mask's chest, trying to get him off. Mask groaned and fell over. Off Balko went chanting something in unknown language.

"I'll get him!" Mars hollered.

She fired a shot, but a portal opened up in front of Balko which he darted through. It sealed shut before the arrow could follow after.

"Damn!" Mars said crossly.

The sound of Zoicite's half-laughing-half-cough fit them turned their attention to him. He was propping himself up on his elbows.

"Well…done…you win today…Warriors…heh…" Zoicite choked out before dematerializing, himself.

"They both got away," Jupiter pouted.

"Guys…" Naru said weakly. "Can we go home now?"

"Right. Everybody inside," Moon ordered.

They boarded the doom bus and Naru picked up her bag and rifled through it until she found her Recall Stone. Moon took it.

"Are these girls still alive?" Mars asked, leaning in to examine one of the pale faces.

She held a hand to one of their mouths, and sure enough, hot breath fogged the metal's surface.

"Yeah, they were all still breathing when I was in here before," Naru answered.

"Alright, uh…" Moon paused. "Uh, there's no place like home. There's no place like home."

* * *

"You summoned me, my queen?" Nephrite asked.

"Yes, I did, why did Jadeite have you cover the energy drain instead of taking care of it, himself?" Beryl demanded.

"Heh. Well, the little fool attempted to eliminate Phantom Mask. He was unsuccessful and badly injured. However, he did confirm information about the thief. Phantom Mask possesses powers akin to a celestial warrior, but on a lesser level. He's also not working alone. He's being helped by the missing Keeper, Orion."

"Orion still lives!? Hmm… For this valuable information, Jadeite will go unpunished, this time."

Before either of them could say another Zoicite teleported in front of them and dropped onto the ground at Nephrite's feet. Beryl stood in alarm on seeing the condition he was in. Zoicite rolled over to face her, and took a breath to speak.

"Your Majesty…Jupiter and Mars…have awakened…" Zoicite managed to say.

He fell unconscious, and Nephrite gingerly picked him up.

"With your permission, my queen, I will take him to medical bay."

"Yes, do it! It's too early in the war to have one of my generals _dead_!"

* * *

Mars rolled her eyes while Moon continued to chant.

"Oh, please, like that's actually going to…"

Suddenly, the bus was engulfed in darkness and then they arrived backstreet from which it disappeared.

"We're here!" Moon cheered.

"Oh ye of little faith," Mask smirked at Mars.

"Oh, quiet you," Mars muttered.

"Hey, guys, they're not waking up," Moon said after giving a few a good shaking to try to rouse them.

"There must be a curse or spell on them," Mars said. "Here, let me a take a look."

While Mars got busy examining one of the unconscious girls, Jupiter turned to Mask.

"So you're the mysterious Phantom Mask," Jupiter said to him.

"Yep," he answered.

"You know, I thought you were just some hooligan, but you're alright. How did you find us anyway?" she asked.

"I knew these girls were disappearing close to the shrine, so I staked out the area. I simply followed you when you chased this bus."

"Cool," Jupiter replied.

"I think I can break the curse that's been placed on them," Mars said.

Everyone turned to her as she spoke.

"But, I'll need a few things from the shrine and Grandpa's help," she admitted.

She looked down at herself.

"Eh, I don't wanna go back home looking like this."

She turned to everyone else and immediately noticed a face in the crowd gone.

"Hey, where's Phantom Mask go?" she said.

Moon, Jupiter, and Naru looked around, but sure enough, he was gone.

"Eh. Don't worry about. He does that," Moon said. "It's easy change to back, watch."

There was a gleam of light, from which Mars shielded her eyes. In place of Moon and Jupiter were Usagi and Makoto beaming at her.

"You just focus on thinking about your everyday self," Usagi said.

"You guys?!" Mars exclaimed with disbelief. "You're the celestial warriors, but how?!"

Then she calmed down.

"Alright, I'll try," Mars said, and closed her eyes to concentrate.

"It's a long story," Makoto said.

In a flash, Mars was back in her haori. They followed after Naru going back outside.

"I'm all ears, and you two are going to explain everything on the way," Rei said.

"Uh, alright…" Makoto said.

Rei grabbed Usagi by the hand pulled her along out of the bus, followed by Makoto and Naru. They were back on the back street.

"Its' so warm out," Naru hummed.

As Rei listened to Usagi retell the events leading up to that day as they walked down the sidewalk, a police squad car rounded the corner and pulled over. The two officers got out and looked at the parked doom bus, utterly stunned by the snow that covered it. Naru ran over to them.

"Hello, officers. This is the doom bus," she explained.

A young man watched from behind a tree across the street. He smiled after the three heading back to the shrine.

"Until we meet back…my junior detectives," he said.

* * *

"You know, it's bad enough that Jadeite went and got himself roughed up, but honestly," Nephrite scolded Zoicite. "What were thinking taking them all on?"

"It was the best…AH! Careful you fool! The best way to gauge our strong as team they are," Zoicite said between bones being reset.

"Hold still, Master Zoicite," the goblin doctor said. "You've been very badly hurt."

"Was it the gash across my chest or the holes seared into me that gave that idea?" Zoicite hissed.

"I'll leave you to the doctor's care," Nephrite said. "Her Majesty Beryl has put me in charge of keeping the Warriors distracted from Jadeite's activities elsewhere. And you should be happy you're hurting this much. Pain is just life's way of letting you know you're still here."

Nephrite smiled down at Zoicite's scowl before taking his leave. The doctor finished his work and Zoicite was left to rest in the hospital bed with a healthy dose of pain killer injected into him. The curtains were pulled shut all around him. He was about to nod off when somebody entered his small rectangular "room" by drawing back a curtain. There stood a man with golden eyes and long white hair. He wore a dark uniform just like the other three generals, except he had a long, white cape.

"Kunzite, love," Zoicite groggily identified the man.

"Zoicite," Kunzite whispered in a concerned tone.

Kunzite breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing his lover still alive. Their eyes met and a smile passed between them. Kunzite walked over to the side of the bed and took a seat in the bedside chair. Then he took the younger man's hand in his own.

"I just got word," Kunzite explained.

His face flashed with anger.

"Who did this to you? Were you able to identify any of them?" Kunzite asked.

"No. The first two Warriors and Mask arrived already in their gear, and Mars was just one of the girls I'd collected. I never learned her name and I doubt I could pick her out from a crowd," Zoicite responded to him. "Now I imagine you had to leave your post to come here. I'm fine, I swear. I've already been treated. For now, I need some rest. I hate to do this to you, truly."

"I understand," Kunzite replied. "I will return soon. Until then, just get concentrate of getting well again. If I ever meet these Celestial Warriors or Phantom Mask, I will kill them for what they've done to you this day."

"Of course, love," Zoicite yawned and closed his eyes.

Kunzite leaned in and kissed Zoicite in the cheek. Then he let go of his lover's hand and left. After he was gone, Zoicite opened an eye a crack to make sure he was alone. With no one to see him face, he smiled.

"Forgive me for lying to you, Kunzite," Zoicite thought. "But it was for your own good."

**A/N: **Oh wow, Rei was introduced as Sailor Mars in episode 10 of the uncut anime, and it's Chapter 10 of my fanfic. I love funny little coincidences like that.

**Announcement: **I just made a forum for this story, _Pick That Monster!_: forum/Pick-That-Monster/117560/ If you have a monster you'd like to suggest to me, recommend it to me here. The source of the monster (creepypasta or classic) is irrelevant. If I can use it, I will.


	12. Chapter 11: Three's Company

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Drew L.: I plan it. :)

TsukiyoTenshi: Will do!

LoveInTheBattleField: Will do!

**Chapter 11**

**Three's Company**

April 16th

Pious stepped up the microphone sitting atop a podium. He was on-stage in a crowded conference room before his fellow Keepers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "A situation has come to our attention. April 8th 9 PM Celestial Warrior Moon, Luna, the mysterious Phantom Mask, and I confronted Zoicite at Osaka Jewelry. He had assaulted the acting owner and customers by way of energy drain. At the same time in Springfield, Illinois in the U.S., Katie Sandler, a 15 year old up and coming tennis player passed away of unknown causes that have baffled the authorities. Adjusting for the different time zones, it was 6AM. She was in New York City, and she was getting some early practice in when she collapsed.

"According to the autopsy report, she shouldn't have died at all. In the coroner's own words, 'It was like something just sucked the life out of her'. In the time leading up to her death, young Miss Sandler began to act strangely around her friends and competitors, lashing out aggressively and becoming stressed over minor issues. No drugs were found in her system nor was there any failure in any of her vitals.

"That is not the end, though. Nearly a week later, yesterday, April 15th, also in Japan, Celestial Warrior Moon and two of our agents confronted Peisinoe the Siren at the House of Fortune, where she had set up a fake fortune telling shop to lure in and manipulate teenage boys into misbehaving. That was at 8PM. While our eyes were on that situation, a photographer from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, by the name of Peter Fisher also passed away under circumstances identical to Ms. Sandler's. It was 12 O'clock, noon, London time. The district lack of a cause of death and erratic behavior beforehand were all the same."

The Keepers whispered amongst themselves.

"Therefore, it was easy to conclude that these events were connected," Pious continued. "Zoicite's seemingly senseless actions of late are likely little more than smoke and mirrors to keep our eyes diverted. So the question of the hour is this: Why were Katie Sandler and Peter Fisher, two very different individuals living on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, targeted?"

Pious pulled out a list of names from a file.

"This matter will be further investigated by individuals I have selected among you: Professor Armand Cortés, Forensic Science Technician; Professor William Hollingshead, Astronomer; Professor Eric O'Brien, Geneticist; Professor Lucy Tillerman, Genealogist; Doctor of Medical Science Thabo Zimbalist, Psychic Medium. Come forward, please."

The five professors got up and walked onto the stage beside Pious and handed them each a file.

"You will each return to your respective Divisions and began work with your teams right away. As for the rest of you, be on the lookout for any further incidents of this sort. You will find the full details in the file laid on the desks in front of you. Connect the dots, ladies and gentlemen. Meeting is adjourned."

Pious stepped off the stage intending to go back to his office. He left the conference and was out in the hall. Myddin was waiting for him by the door.

"Hail, old friend," Pious said. "How may I help you?"

"I just stopped to tell you that the meeting with Celestial Warrior Jupiter has been cancelled," Myddin replied.

The old man looked oddly pleased, which confused Pious. The bald man furrowed his brows not entirely sure what he meant. Myddin spoke again.

"She stopped by with Luna early today while everyone else was busy. She did so in order to accompany Moon in the investigation of Hikawa Shrine," he explained.

Pious didn't look altogether pleased, but he wasn't bristling like a pit bull like he usually did when people made sudden schedule changes or diverged from protocol, either.

"These girls…no respect for protocol," he said hotly.

He rolled his eyes, sighing.

"At least it was for the rights reasons," Pious relented.

Myddin smiled and was about to say something else.

"However, I have no intention of allowing them to just change appointments like that. If they're going to win this war, they'll need discipline and be more orderly," Pious added sharply.

Myddin chuckled.

"Good luck," Myddin said.

* * *

April 17th, 5:39PM, Hikawa Shrine

Rei was in her room. She rested her head in one hand staring at her notebook deep in thought. She'd written every important point of her mission as a Celestial Warrior which she'd learned during her meeting with The Keepers. In her other hand, she tapped the pencil against the paper. Next to it on the table was her owner's kit for that high tech phone they gave her that didn't need to plug into the wall.

"Alright, let's review what I have," she thought.

She held up the note pad and read off the points:

_Fight evil with the other Warriors._

_Search for Moon Princess and Silver Crystal._

_Beat Dark Kingdom to finding both._

_Kick Dark Kingdom's butt restoring peace to planet Earth._

_Victory._

_Use Silver Crystal to usher in a new Golden Age._

_?_

She stared at the blank sixth and seventh points. She recalled her meeting with The Keepers, running the details over in her head, from the moment she waited for them after school got out.

* * *

_Rei sat on the bench on the sidewalk waiting for this Keeper they said was coming to pick her up. The day before after explaining what was what, Usagi used a hilariously small cordless phone to get in touch with this organization to tell them that Mars had joined her fellow Warriors. Her instructions were to wait for them after school, and so there she was._

_Rei yawned. She was still tired from yesterday after breaking the curse on all the sleeping girls. Then the cops showed up and questioned her for hours after the recovery of the doom bus and the missing girls._

_Before long, an unmarked police car pulled up. Rei blinked in surprise when she saw who it was inside. Stepping out of that car was none other than Inspector Ishida. He stood and flashed a cheesy smile at him._

"_Hey, Rei," he called light-heartedly._

"_Inspector Ishida?"_

_She was less shocked than she might have been. He always __did__ know exactly where they'd have to face something supernatural._

"_I'll bet this explains a few things, huh?" he said with a laugh. "Get in. This won't be long."_

_And they were off._

"_Also, you don't need to call me Inspector Ishida anymore when it's just the two of us," he said._

_Rei looked at him intrigued by that statement._

"_Then what pray tell, do I call you, 'Inspector'?"_

"_Artemis," he replied. "Just Artemis."_

"_Alright, Just Artemis. Who are you really?"_

"_I'm Artemis, the Keeper of the Peace," he said. "Wherever there's an area with an especially high ratio of…unusual activity, I show up to keep things from getting too out of hand and to keep the public from going into a panic. If necessary, I give the people a hero."_

_Rei thought on those words. While it rumors were buzzing about monsters and there was a rash of strange murders or other incidents in Japan, mayhem was being kept to a minimum. She wasn't seeing people mobbing in the streets yet. The instant he said he gave the people a hero her mind went immediately to Sailor V._

"_So…Makoto showed me that book you guys gave her. Does every one of the Core Eight Keepers have a specific and responsibility, too? Or it is just you?" she asked._

"_Oh, it's all of us. We do a lot more than just run the organization."_

"_Such as?"_

"_Well, let's take it from the top: Myddin is The Keeper of Wisdom, he often settles disputes and keeps decision making on track. Pious is the Keeper of Knowledge, our main regulator of rules and protocol as well as head of Archives. Rusila is the Keeper of the Dark, in charge of sniffing out rogue entities in major parts of the world. Kratos is the Keeper of Strength, and our primary drill sergeant. Jocelyn is the Keeper of the Magic Arts and in charge of magic training. Wren is the Keeper of Courage, and our top undercover man. And then there's Luna, the Keeper of Warriors, our main councilor for the upkeep of the mental and psychological welfare of our troops. It's the reason she was placed in charge of handling you girls after you've awakened."_

"_So I'll be answering to this Luna, then?" she asked._

"_Yep, mostly," he replied._

"_When they were telling me everything yesterday, Usagi and Makoto mentioned a…'Missing Keeper'?"_

"_Orion, the Keeper of the Hunt. He was in charge of coordinating our efforts singling out creatures that'd set themselves up in secluded parts of the world. One day, he just disappeared without a warning or a goodbye. Most say he's dead, but we don't really know. If he's still alive, then we don't have the slightest what he's doing."_

"_Okay. Oh. You said you gave the people a hero? Sailor V, right? Is she one of us or what? All the rumors say she runs around fighting monsters. That's basically what you have Usagi, Makoto, and I doing. How come we're not all working together?"_

"_Oh, I knew you'd catch on quickly," Artemis couldn't have sounded more pleased with Rei._

"_She has a very specific task countering the Dark Agency, a sub-division within The Dark Kingdom. Their job is gather human energy to feed the ranks of The Dark Kingdom. The Warriors, on the other hand, battle threats directly from the main force. She's also the public face of our efforts."_

"_So we get another Warrior after she's defeated The Dark Agency?"_

_Rei looked up at the car ceiling, running the names of the planets through her head. Then she looked back at Artemis with a guess._

"_Venus?"_

_Artemis nodded his head._

"_So let's see…" Rei said, pondering. "The Inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, so we should shoot for getting Mercury and Earth next, right?"_

"_Well, Mercury, anyway," Artemis responded woefully._

"_Huh? Shouldn't there be a Celestial Warrior Earth, too?"_

"_The problem with Earth is that there's never been a woman bearing the power of this planet's Warrior," Artemis exposited. "Even if she is out there, we've long since stopped expecting to ever find her."_

"_No Earth Warrior when all this is going down on __Earth__? That's just __weird__," Rei stated._

* * *

Rei held up the 'cellular phone' contemplatively while she glossed through the features that thing had. For some reason, the Keepers included an option where the user could play Pac-Man. She wondered what the point of that one was since they were supposed to be used by Keepers to communicate on missions and to get in contact with each other.

Her mind turned to what happened next.

* * *

_After a startling trip in the 'phone booth' in the back of Joe's Convenience Store, Artemis let her through Keeper HQ into the main meeting hall where hundreds, maybe thousands, had gathered. He brought her before them all up on stage before the Core Eight._

"_Ah, welcome, you must be Rei Hino," Myddin warmly greeted._

"_I am. It's a pleasure to meet you all," she bowed respectfully._

_Myddin chuckled at the formality._

"_There's no need to pay us such high respects, Ms. Hino."_

_He introduced everyone and they got down to business. After which, they gave her the unabridged version of the backstory behind the war between The Keepers and The Dark Kingdom as well as the purposes and functions of the Warriors and the Moon Princess. When they were through, Rei had a few questions._

"_Okay, so, we have to find this Moon Princess so she can summon The Silver Crystal? Does anyone have the slightest idea who the Moon Princess is?" she asked._

"_Sadly, no," Jocelyn replied. "We've searched and investigated candidates for a very long time, but we just haven't been able to locate this individual."_

"_So…__what__ is the Moon Princess?" Rei asked._

"_The Moon Princess is a person who will inherit the power of Her Majesty Queen Serenity and her bloodline, according to the prophecy," Pious answered. "We've singled out several extraordinary persons from around the globe over the years, but that hasn't wielded any results."_

"_Who gave you this prophecy?"_

"_Her Majesty, Queen Serenity, herself, in her dying moments. Right before she sundered the forces of the Dark Kingdom, she left the Keepers with the edict we've been following as well as a prophecy foretelling the outcome of our efforts depending on our success or failure."_

"_Alright, so what exactly __is__ the Silver Crystal?" Rei then asked._

"_Power, to put it simply. The Silver Crystal is an object of unspeakable power. This crystal belonged to Her Majesty Queen Serenity, ruler of the Silver Millennium. By the power of The Silver Crystal, the people of the kingdom lived long and peaceful lives watching over the Earth and guiding its peoples," Myddin spoke._

"_What is the extent of its power," Rei questioned._

"_Extent? Vast," Kratos said. "The Silver Crystal is an entirely self-sustaining source of energy that could solve the coming energy crisis the Earth faces all by itself. The potential military applications would be unlike anything the world has ever seen. Its capacity to restore far surpasses even the best modern medicines."_

"_Thankfully, there are very few that can control the Silver Crystal and its power must be fully mastered before it can be used to its full capacity," Rusila said. "Unfortunately, Beryl is among them, being a master of magic."_

"_We would love very much for the Silver Crystal not to become a weapon of terrible power, which is why we must get to it before The Dark Kingdom," Jocelyn said._

"_Right, no wonder they want it then," Rei said. "Quick question, what happens if we win? How does the Silver Crystal get implemented then? And who decides how it gets used?"_

"_The Moon Princess will be the one to ultimately decide that. As for how, we hope to begin making provisions for its powers to be put to use in bringing harmony to this world," Luna replied. "Over time, we will begin introducing it to the public for practical uses. With any luck, we can halt many times of crisis before they begin."_

"_Cool. I guess the only choice I have is to get started right away," Rei said with resolution. "You guys can count me in."_

* * *

"Those last step seems so far off," she thought.

_Blip-blip-blip! Doo-doo-doo-doo!_

"Damn, Blinky got me again," she muttered.

She shut the phone and looked at her note tad again.

"Oh, right, we have combat training on Sunday."

* * *

Meanwhile, far across the globe…

It had been a bright and sunny in Barrington, Illinois, but it was evening time now, and the sunlight was waning. The sky was already shades of oranges and reds. An old rattle-trap of a light-blue min-van pulled up into a parking space just out front of an abandoned farm structure. The doors opened as four people dismounted the vehicle. They were all around 15-16 years of age, the oldest one having been the one to drive.

The last person to climb out was a short, skinny teenage boy with shaggy brown hair so thick he always had to brush it out of his hazel eyes. Even now, he ran a hand along his freckled skin pushing his hair out of his face. He held a video camera that he'd just loaded a blank VHA tape into. He turned it on and pointed it at himself.

"Hello, Barrington, Illinois," he said to the camera with a cheesy smile. "My name's Mike, and these are my friends."

First, he pointed the camera at a girl around the same height at him. She was average height and build with long dark brown hair, green eyes, and pale skin.

"Say, 'Hello', Meg," Mike instructed.

"Hello, Barrington," she grinned. "I'm just here to keep my boys from doing anything too stupid, since they wouldn't be talked out of this."

"Too true," Mike laughed.

Then he pointed the camera at the oldest member of the group who owned the van, a plump hello with tanned skin, dark eyes, and black hair.

"This is Wes," Mike said.

"The artiste is not ready for his big scene," Wes said melodramatically.

"Alright, then, we meet our last guy, Pete. Have anything to say to the cynics of Barrington, my man?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, you never want to go to a bagpipe concert in Scotland on a windy day," Pete replied.

"What!?" Mike laughed. "Well, that was random."

Pete scratched his sandy blonde hair, shrugging. He was the tallest of the group. Mike turned the camera back to himself.

"Alright, this is real simple. If you know us, you know that we're always talking about checking out the haunting grounds in the area. So we decided to do it. I just got this camera after months of saving up, so here we are. This is that old abandoned farm property and silo on ShoeFactory Road."

Meg grabbed the camera and pointed it to herself.

"Basically, the boys here think it'll be a _great _idea to walk around an old house that hasn't seen the hands of a repairman in decades on the off chance there's a ghost," she said, sounding less than impressed.

Mike laughed, taking the camera back and pointing it at Pete.

"And what was the consensus on that?"

"Sounds like fun, and here we are," Pete said.

Wes stepped in front of Pete.

"This is the old MacFayden place. Basically, MacFayden went crazy and killed his whole family before hanging himself in the silo. He buried them about 20 feet from a five-point –star that's in the front yard. Each point faces a different tree," Wes explained.

"Anyway, let's get this show on the road," Mike said.

They stepped off the sidewalk out the property's lawn. The boys continued to clown around until they noticed a change in the air when they stepped out onto the lawn.

"Whoa, did it just get cold around here?" Wes asked.

"Hey, it was pretty warm out just a second ago," Pete replied.

"Well, that's good," Mike said. "Viewers, we are experiencing a sudden drop in temperature. We might have struck pay dirt on the first try."

"Guys, I don't like this…" Meg said, sounding a little scared. "If something happens, there aren't a whole lot of people around in this part of town. We should just leave."

"Oh, come on, ghosts can't hurt people," Wes insisted. "Besides, we already drove all the way out here. If anything happens, we can just run for it."

"In that case, you might want to give me the keys," Pete joked, patting Wes's protruding gut.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Wes said humorlessly.

"So what do you want to check out first?" Meg asked Mike.

"The silo. It won't have a bunch of rooms to look through," Mike replied.

He brought the camera around to the tower-like structure and stopped dead when he did. There it stood, just sitting here looming tall over the trees in the area, rusting. There was something sinister about the old ruin in the waning sunlight of the evening. Still, they walked toward it, but as they did, the sound of Wes and Pete's laughter, as well as their talking, quieted down until an uneasy silence settled in. The air continued to feel colder as they neared it. It was almost as if there was some sort of cold, dark aura radiating from the silo. It sent shivers down their spines. Wes even let out a small little yelp when they were less than five yards from it. They stood in a line besides it looking.

"So…now what?" Pete asked, his voice sounding very small.

"Let's just find a way in," Mike replied also in a hushed tone.

They paced around the circumference of the formation looking for the door. The closest they found was a ladder leading up to the top. The rungs looked like they could also be handles that opened up one of the metal panels (4 feet tall and across) that made up the exterior of the silo.

"Hey, Pete, go on up and see if you can't get inside," Mike instructed.

"Why me? You're the curious one," Pete argued.

"I have to hold the camera," Mike answered.

"Yeah, but…" Pete looked to Wes.

"I'm not doing it," Wes said.

Meg.

"Not 'it'," she said.

"Aw, man," Pete complained.

He pouted and started climbing; pulling on the hatches each time he came to another panel. The third one up was the only one that'd open. Pete yanked it open. The metal hinges groaned and squeaked loudly making everyone flinch. Pete pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and shined it inside. He looked down at the others after a moment and called to them.

"There's a ladder along the inside, we can climb in," he said.

They were inside the silo within in a few minutes. While Pete, Wes, and Meg shined their torches around, Mike used the camera's light to look around the interior of the tower. It was mostly empty except for some ancient rotted hay and they certainly weren't seeing any unnatural movements or sights inside. Wes's light landed on something large in the middle of the floor.

"Hey, guys, check this out," he said.

He walked over to it and kicked the piled up stale hay off it. The thing under the hay was an old-fashioned storage trap door with a ring-handle on it. The lip of the handle had the symbol of a winged-unicorn facing forward etched on it.

"Hey, man, that's like something from Medieval times or something," Mike said.

Wes and Pete bent over and pulled up on the trapdoor. Meg shined a light down the hole while Mike continued filming. There was a steady flow of air coming from the bottom. There was another iron ladder descending into the hole from the top. At the bottom which was visible from the light, everything seemed safe. Mostly more hay, dirt, and…another peculiar hatch. It was three feet across from the base of the ladder.

"I don't think most silos come equipped with doors leading underground," Pete said.

"No kidding," Wes muttered sarcastically.

Without another word, Mike stepped into the hole onto the first rung of the ladder. Meg reached out and grabbed him under the arm.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa there," she said, sounding concerned. "You're not really going down there, are you?"

"Well, duh," Mike answered.

"Hey, let's just think about this," Meg said insistently. "This isn't normal."

"Yeah, I know, this is _way_ better," Mike replied.

He pulled away from her and descended down into the hole.

"Viewers, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it was long been legendary that the MacFaydens were into witchcraft and other freaky things like that," Mike narrated climbing the dozen or so feet down to the bottom.

He dropped onto the floor and shined the camera's light around. The room was as empty as the silo. He looked up and beckoned the others to come down. Wes and then Pete stepped onto the ladder going down after Mike.

"Guys, this is a _really_ bad idea," Meg whined. "I'm not going down there."

"Suit yourself, the dude standing watch is always the first to go in horror movies," Pete replied.

"Oh, _no,_ you're not creeping me out into following you guys down there. I'm staying up here!" she retorted.

Mike crouched by the second trapdoor, first getting a close up shot of it before facing the camera to him again.

"So, what are we going to find down there? A moonshine cellar or the stash of the bloody victims of human sacrifices?" Mike asked melodramatically.

He then made hokey ghost noises as Wes and Pete stepped onto the floor. Wes reached out a hand to pull open the hatch, but then stopped.

"What's wrong?" Pete asked.

"You know, this seemed like a good idea, but now actually looking at this thing, I think Meg might be right," Wes said.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Pete grumbled.

He stooped down and yanked the second hatch open.

"Chicken," Mike chuckled at Wes.

"Oh, God," Pete suddenly cried out, plugging his nose.

Mike and Wes retched and followed suit, taking deliberate breaths through their mouths.

"What's it smell like?" Meg asked from above them.

"Oh, man, it burns! It reeks like rotten meat down there!" Pete cried.

"I'm also getting 'wet rust on a rainy' funk," Wes added.

"Wow," Mike exclaimed. "Oh! Oh, wow! I was just kidding about the human sacrifice thing. Hey, we might really be onto something here!"

Mike pointed the camera down the hole. Another ladder, except this one was covered in something that was a very deep red, slightly purplish maybe. Upon seeing, Wes went pale and felt chills. He took a hasty step back.

"Sh…shit," he said. "Is that blood?"

He and Pete exchanged daunted looks. Mike swallowed and took a deep breath to calm down. He moved forward and stepped onto the first rung of the ladder.

"Hey, what you doing, man?" Wes demanded.

"I'm going down," Mike replied simply.

"Dude, are you serious? There could be something seriously f&%*ed up down there!" Wes protested.

"Yeah, and that's what we're here for," Mike argued. "Come on, are you guys just going to whine like little bitches or are we going to do this?"

Pete and Wes looked at each other again while Mike climbed down. Pete looked from Wes to the hole and back.

"Well…" Pete stuttered.

Without finishing, he also climbed onto the ladder after Mike.

"You're both idiots," Meg called down.

Wes hesitated at the mouth of the hole for several seconds. He looked up at Meg and then back. Finally, he came to a decision. He turned his face upwards and called to Meg.

"Hang on, I'll go get them and we are _out of here_," he called up.

"Okay, but don't stay down there any longer than you have to," Meg answered.

"Don't worry," Wes said.

"I hope I don't regret this," he said under his breath, stepping onto the ladder.

It was a dark, dirt tunnel down there. Wes shined his light down around the floor below him, and didn't spot anymore hatches, much to his delight. Mike and Pete weren't far off heading down the tunnel having picked a direction at random.

Wes's eye watered. Oh, it stunk down there! When he reached the ground, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and breathed through that. He marched after Mike and Pete and soon caught up to them. They looked over at him as he neared.

"Decided to join the party?" Mike asked.

Wes stepped back them and planted himself between them and the tunnel.

"Alright, guys, that's far enough. I think we've proven that the MacFaydens were into something very freaky here. I say we just take the footage to the police and let them bust whatever shit went down here."

Mike rolled his eyes and was about to argue, but Wes was quick. He raised a hand.

"No! We're leaving, or at least I am, and I have the wheels!"

"Oh, come on, man, this place has been abandoned for _years_. The MacFaydens are gone. It's not like there's anything still alive down here!" Mike said firmly.

That's when they heard it. An ear-splitting shriek followed by the sounds of something running and panting, hard. The three boys turned and ran back towards the ladder in a desperate attempt to avoid the creature that had made the horrific scream. Pete and Mike were faster than Wes, and so they reached the ladder first, and scaled it first with Wes trailing behind. They each popped out of the hole. Mike and Pete turned to slam the latch shut as soon as Wes was through.

No sooner had Wes come up with his van keys in hand did they heard that bellow again. A clawed hand reached out and grabbed Wes by the leg, tightly, and pulled on him. Wes cried out once as he hauled back down so fast Mike and Pete couldn't react. Meg screamed while watching the event unfold from above, cupping a hand over her mouth.

They heard Wes's terrified screams and then suddenly…they ceased. They heard the sharp snapping of bones and the tearing of flesh. Mike and Pete were frozen in shock. The sounds of Wes being killed were revolting. Mike was the first to move, slamming the hatch shut and locking it. He noticed Wes's keys on the floor, which he must have dropped when he was grabbed. Mike picked them up and began to climb back up and Pete vomited on the floor, and then followed him up.

"What…what was that thing? What did it do it Wes?! What's going on here?!" Meg demanded.

"We're getting out of here! Now!" Mike replied, resolutely.

The three remaining teens quickly exited the silo and ran for the van. Again they heard the bellow of the beast. Mike dared a glance over his shoulder and he saw the thing hop down from the side of it's "home". In their panic, he and Meg quickly climbed one of the nearby trees going high up into the branches, but Pete was too panicked to stop running. They hollered for him to come up after them, but he didn't seem to hear them.

Mike looked back at the approaching monster, and his regret, he got a better look at what was chasing them. It was the most grotesque thing you could imagine. Its pale face was mask-like against its dark skin and the thick, black fur that covered most of its body. The face seemed to only have two dark holes for eyes and a large smile stretched across the face. Its body had characteristics of both a cat and a gorilla. It had human-like hands that each ended in claws and an ape-like body, but it could run like a puma. As it passed under them, even in the fading light of day, Mike got a good enough look at make a chilling discovery. The "face" was indeed a mask. Or to be more precise, a mask made from Wes's skinned face.

Mike and Meg were so scared they didn't know what to do as it ran on all hours across the ground after Pete. As they sat in the tree they watched their friend run in fear but that was no use. The thing caught up to him instantly. It pounced and bore him to the ground, and then turned over him to face it. Pete screamed in terror at it. He stopped for an instant upon beholding the true horror of its "face". The boy then let out one final terrified scream just before it shoved both hands through his chest and tore him apart with ease. Pete's wailing ended.

Then, its chest opened up like a pocket revealing bloody tendrils that wrapped around Pete's head, tearing it off from his mutilated corpse. It drew it into the empty cavity in the creature's chest and then sealed it shut. The skinned face of Wes disintegrated and was quickly replaced with a mask made from Pete with the same hollow eyes and horrible smile. It turned around and looked up at the pair in the tree branches. Pete's lips moved as it spoke in a soft, raspy voice:

"I am the Face Taker."

Mike heard Meg crying next to him, but his body felt too stiff to move. He couldn't take his eyes off the scene below on the ground. Regaining his wits, he brought the camera up and captured the beast on tape. The Face Taker proceeded to crawl away towards the woods, presumably towards its dwelling. Time seemed to stand still for them. They both sat there in the tree for what might have been hours or a few minutes.

Mike switched off the camera and began to climb down, beckoning Meg to follow him. She did, hesitantly, and they ran the rest of the way to Wes's van. They opened the driver's and passenger side doors. The Face Taker shrieked again and they jumped in, closing the doors. Mike started the engine and they pulled out of the parking space. He floored it trying to speed. A glance in the rearview mirror showed that it was chasing after them, but eventually the sluggish machine did speed up and they left it behind. The van pulled away from the creature and disappeared into the distance. The beast stopped its pursuit. It slammed a fist against the pavement making large cracks in the pavement and growled. Then it turned back and headed back towards the silo.

* * *

April 19th, Sunday

Usagi, Makoto, and Rei stepped into the large, dark room. The lights flickered on overhead revealing a wide open space the size of the football field. Slabs of hardened steel were riveted into place in every square inch of this place. Behind them was the only entrance and exit: A large rectangular opening. A flat slab of iron slid over the entrance like a sliding door behind them locking them in the room. Halfway up the wall above that closed entry were three large Plexiglas windows from which Luna, Jocelyn and some engineers watched.

"Wow. When you said w were going to be training together, I thought you meant that dojo where I sparred with Haruka," Usagi.

"Well, now that there are three of you, we've taken the liberty of moving your training to this room that's been especially designed for you Warriors," Luna's voice replied over the intercom.

"What'll we be doing in here?" Makoto asked.

"Drills, mostly. Jocelyn is up here with me and will be casting primitive Astral Projections called Shades. They look mostly like the shadowpeople of legend (in fact, they _are _the shadowpeople of legend). Their attacks aren't lethal, but they have just enough to mass to knock you down if they get the chance," Luna answered.

"Question. How does Keeper magic like Astral Projections and stuff work?" Rei asked.

"I can answer that, dear," Jocelyn said. "Unlike you Warriors, who have power within you that you can manipulate to any end, ordinary magic users have to pull the natural magics from the air around them using meditation and chants. From there, it's will and thought that manipulates it"

"Alright, that's enough dillydallying. Transform," Luna ordered over the intercom.

"Yeah, yeah," Usagi muttered lazily.

One bright flash later, and the three were fully armored up. Usagi and Makoto took their positions several paces ahead of Rei. They were both to the side so as to not get in her line of fire. Some earlier experimentation showed that the bow and fire arrows were Rei's main mode of attack and defense, so she wouldn't be doing any closed quarters fighting if she could help it.

Rei turned her head from side to side to loosen up Makoto performed some shoulder stretches to get ready. Usagi swung her blades around in figure-8 alternating behind hands to warm up.

"To start things off, we're going to begin with some basic tactics. Get ready," Luna instructed.

She turned to Jocelyn.

"Hit it."

Jocelyn closed her eyes and held her hands as if in prayer. She began to chant. Down in the training area, the Warriors watched as the phantasmal constructs known as Shades took form. They were bearing weapons. In this case, around eight Shades bearing swords appeared with four more standing back bearing bows and arrows.

Moon and Jupiter tensed, and broke into a sprint going right at the frontline fighters. The Shades acted in kind. When she was close to one, Moon swung her sword sending herself into a spin. She worked up enough momentum batter the Shade's defenses back in one stroke. Her sword passed into its center and it dispersed into mist. Jupiter leapt over hers' sword stroke and bashed it in the "face", dispersing it. Rei's arrows prevented several from taking pot shots at her companions from behind.

Suddenly, four of the remaining Shades ran right past Moon and Jupiter towards Mars.

"Crud! Jupiter! Cover Mars!" Moon barked.

"On it!"

The green-clad Warrior back-flipped over Shades rushing Mars. Mars got off one shot that downed an attacker before Jupiter landed between them. She clapped her hands together, shooting lightning straight ahead into the nearest Shade. She engaged another and punched its sword hand, evaporating it and then landed another hit on its chest dispelling the thing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the last one dispatched by Mars.

They turned their attention over to Moon. She'd taken down both of the melee fighters that attacked her and fending off shot from the archers. Mars focused her power, summoned up four fire arrows and shot them off all at once. Each and every one hit their targets simultaneously.

"Very good, now let's see how you handle this," Luna's voice crackled over the speakers.

"That doesn't sound good," Moon murmured.

"Surround them," Luna told Jocelyn.

The Shades appeared in a circle around the girls and surged forward as one. The trio gritted their teeth and got to work.

"Good. Good. Keep that up, girls," Luna said as they watched.

Moon and Jupiter stayed close to Mars on either fending off attackers wherever they were while Mars shot all the strays and would-be sneak attackers. Luna and Jocelyn ran the girls through several drills where they were forced to use different tactics each time.

"Now to throw something a little different at them," Luna said.

A whole section of the floor lifted up into looked like small fortress. It was perfectly square and made from the same materials as the rest of the room. There was a single opened door with a rounded top leading inside. Inside, they could see a glowing crystal on a pedestal. Shades appeared all around it guarding and then a single line of formed ranks in front of it.

"Fight your way past them and destroy the crystal. Destroy the crystal and you pass the test," Luna ordered.

"Mars, cover me. Jupiter, cover her. I'll make a run for it and aim right for the crystal the instant I get an opening."

"Roger!" Jupiter and Mars confirmed.

"Hmm. Interesting idea, but a played one," Luna muttered, watching them enact the plan. "And not good enough this time. Jocelyn, animate the Empty Shells and have them ready to come up by the time Moon is past the Shades."

Jocelyn smirked and let out a quiet laugh.

"You're just being cruel now, Luna," she said.

"I know," Luna smiled back.

"I guess I can't expect any less of a cat. You always did like playing rough with your prey," Jocelyn said with humor.

The blade returned to Moon's hand. There was no one between her and that crystal now. With a few rushing steps she leaned into, she propelled herself forward a few feet in the air. Then the floor opened up and a several suits of armor were elevated up with a lift in front of her. She tried to stop herself, but she ran right into one of them and bounced off onto the floor.

"Owie!" she cried.

She looked up at these new opponents. This one had a big ax, which was raised to cleave her in two.

"I'd dodge that if I were you," Luna's voice warned. "Unlike the Shades, the Empty Shells _are_ lethal."

Moon let out an 'eek' and tumbled out of the ax's path. She sprang back onto her feet and leapt in, but her blades just glanced off its shield. She stepped back. Not even a scratch.

"Their armors and gear are engraved with all manner of protective charms and barriers. You'll have to try to a lot harder than that to get past them," Luna said.

Moon jumped back to put some distance between herself and them. She held the sword with the blades pointing up and down while gathering power. Her body and the double sword began to glow with power. She looked at the stoic line of iron foes and charged them again. She slashed at them across. They raised their shields, but were beaten back and forced to brace themselves on the ground on knee to stop from getting plowed over.

Then Moon jumped straight up and threw her sword overhead towards the crystal. One of the Empty Shells jumped in front of the entrance took the brunt of the blow. The sword glances off and clattered to the floor. Moon called it back to her while the Empty Shells crowded around the fort's door.

"Oh, come on!" she yelled.

She barely noticed the new batch of Shades that formed around them to replace the ones Jupiter and Mars felled. Moon steeled herself and prepared to throw it again.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

She let it fly. It shattered the Empty Shells standing in the door, bounced off them, and returned, but the others were quick to take their fallen comrades' places. Also, the felled Shells began to pull themselves back together. Moon whined in frustration. She needed a power blast of pure energy that would course through metal into the interior of the little structure and blow up the crystal.

She turned and looked back at Jupiter, who was busy keeping Shades off Mars's back. She ran over to them, cutting down every Shade that got in her way.

"Jupiter! I'll watch Mar's back. I need you to give those iron guys a blast that'll go right through them at the crystal!"

"Gotcha!" Jupiter replied, and hopped away.

In a couple of good jumps, she was over to where Moon had just been. Once again she interlocked her hands with the indexes pointing out. The lightning surged through her arms into the gauntlets and out into a lightning bolt. It struck the Empty Shell standing right in front of the door and went right through. Several tiny bolts frayed the interior of the little fort and the crystal exploded into a million tiny pieces. The structure lowered back down to the floor, the Shells fell limp on the floor, and the Shades vanished.

"Very good! That'll be it for today! Well done, girls!" Luna congratulated them.

The girls reverted back to their civilian identities. Usagi's shoulders went slack and she wiped a hand across her sweaty forehead.

"Well, glad that's over," she said, relieved.

"Pfft. Such a big baby," Rei scoffed.

"What?! Who're you callin' a baby?!" Usagi yelled. "I was busting my chops!"

Rei crossed her arms and turned away from Usagi.

"Well, so was I, but you don't see my complaining," Rei replied dismissively. "Then again, not everyone is as talented and beautiful as me."

She swept a hand through her long, black hair to punctuate the point.

"Oi," Usagi groaned.

"Hey, guys, let's just calm down and go home for the night," Makoto suggested. "We passed all the drills Luna gave us, so we all did well, right?"

Usagi and Rei looked at her and 'humphed' turned away from each other.

"Oh boy…" Makoto muttered.

* * *

A man walked briskly through the halls of Springfield, Illinois's City Hall. He entered one of the offices and held up a file.

"Commissioner Keeper Winston, you need to see this."

The man's superior looked at him and accepted the file. He opened it up and began rifling through it.

"We have a situation," the man finished. "Some civilians have just had a close encounter with what we believe to be The Face Taker."

Winston gave the man a look of alarm.

"It's back in the States?" Winston asked with apprehension. "Where was it last seen?"

"Barrington, Illinois, sir. It seems to be living in some tunnels under an abandoned hay loft, but we're not sure why it's picked that exact spot…or why there are tunnels there."

"Have you investigated it at all?"

"Yes…but…well…we lost contact with the Mission Keepers we sent into its domain. So we sent in a recovery team. They found our investigation team, or should I say, what was left of them."

"Ah, okay. I don't need to hear the details about what shape their remains were in. I know how the Face Taker works."

Winston sighed, giving the matter some thought. Then he looked at his subordinate.

"Have you pulled up our file on the beast?"

"Yes, sir, and we're pulling out every close encounter with it to try to formulate a plan of action against it."

"Good, what else is being done?"

"We're monitoring the property it was found on from a distance. We've established that we can get as close as the exterior of the loft without provoking an attack. Our men have scoured every other inch of the property and haven't found anything. If there's anything of interest, I'm afraid it's within the tunnels underneath the loft."

"Oh, _fantastic_. …Has it come out and attacked any civilians that weren't trespassing?"

"No, actually, it seems perfectly content to stay inside its lair unless aggravated."

Winston turned away from his subordinate and looked out the window deep in thought. After a long time, she swiveled his chair back around to face the other man.

"Call the Core Eight. We'll need the Warriors."

* * *

Wednesday, April 22nd

Luna, Usagi, Makoto, and Rei were at Hikawa Shrine in the main living area inside. Luna was seated on one sofa while the three teens sat across from her on another. Between them was a coffee table where all their beverages rest. Luna was holding a photo in one hand. Luna had called up the girls on their cell phones, and Rei had offered to have them all meet up at her place.

"Alright, girls, this is the situation," Luna said. "Three days ago four teenagers had a close encounter with a creature called The Face Taker. Of them, two still remain. They're currently in our protective custody."

Usagi shivered nervously.

"_Face Taker_? Why can't the bad guys have names like _Fluffy _or something?"

"So what are we up against? What kind of monster is it?" Makoto asked.

"I'm getting to that. Thankfully, one of the survivors had a video camera with him. We've reviewed the footage. Apparently, they were attempting to record paranormal activity when they ran afoul of him. The cameraman recorded every. Here, we managed to pull this off of the footage."

She leaned in and handed the photo to Usagi, who sat in the middle. Makoto and Rei looked at it as well. The picture was, and they could make out the large, dark form with a white face.

"Looks like Bigfoot with a white mask," Makoto said.

"Oh, no. Bigfoot's always been harmless," Luna dismissed the notion.

"This creature is an entirely different matter," Luna then said. "The Face Taker is anything but benevolent. He is one of The Dark Kingdom's heavy hitters, in fact. This creature is _nothing_ like the second rates Zoicite has been wasting our time with. It's in a category all its own. He's incredibly strong, fast, and persistent. Once he has your scent, you'll never escape him no matter how far you flee. He will literally hunt his prey to the ends of the Eath. He can tear a human apart like tissue paper, among other things."

Usagi's eye twitched in response. Luna looked down at her lap and sighed. After a few seconds, she turned her eyes back up to the three Warriors.

"Girls, I'm going to be honest. I had hoped he would never resurface. He's been off our radars for years-no, decades now. That he's returned bodes very ill. I don't feel comfortable sending you out to face him so soon before I can be sure you're ready to fight something of his caliber."

"Well, I guess that settles that, then. We're not ready to take him on!" Usagi proclaimed, greatly relieved.

"…Which is why you'll be going with a team of experienced Keepers and a supervisor," Luna said.

A griping noise escaped Usagi's lips. She slid down in her seat until her back rested on the cushion. Makoto and Rei giggled at her.

"When do we leave?" Rei asked.

"Saturday, the 25th," Luna replied. "Try to get some training in everyday to prepare."

She looked very troubled. She looked them each in the eye.

"If things start to get too dangerous, girl, there's no shame in fleeing," Luna said anxiously.

"Hey, what could happen?" Rei asked confidently.

"You could get your heads pulled off," Luna replied pointblank.

Usagi started to look sick and grabbed her neck protectively. Makoto patted her on the shoulder.

"There now, that's not going to happen," she said.

Rei just waved her hand dismissively with a look of confidence on her face.

"Hey, relax. Now that I'm here, victory's a sure thing. You might actually have something to worry about with just Usagi leading the group, but no more," Rei bragged.

"And WHAT is _that_ supposed to mean?" Usagi demanded.

Rei held a flattened palm vertical beside her mouth as she laughed in a high-pitched, if artificial fashion in response.

"Did she really just do that?" Makoto whispered to Usagi exasperately.

"Yes, Mako. Yes, she did."

"What are you two babbling about over there?" Rei asked haughtily.

"You just did the noble woman's laugh!" Usagi yelled.

"And why not? Just look at my poise and BEAUTY! This is as noble as it gets, but I guess you common girls just wouldn't understand that."

"Common girls?!" Usagi and Makoto both exclaimed angrily.

"More like stuck up if you ask me," Usagi retorted.

Rei grabbed hold of Usagi's hair and pulled her over towards her and began to vigorously noogie the blonde.

"Stuck up?! I'll show you stuck up!" Rei shouted protesting.

"Just try it!" Usagi shot back.

Her head shot up and slammed into Rei's chin. The raven grabbed it and leaned moaning painfully.

"Why you…" Rei growled.

Usagi jumped from the couch in a huff.

"No, why you!"

"No, why you!"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"A stimulating argument," Luna deadpanned, watching their argument degrade into the two sticking their tongues out at each other.

"Makoto, could you break it up, please?"

"Why? This is more fun to watch than anything that's on TV right now."

"I'll show you! We'll beat that mean old Face Taker, and it'll be with me leading the charge!" Usagi declared.

"Ha! That, I'd love to see!"

"You will! You better be heard Saturday, Rei!"

"I wouldn't miss it."

"Now that we're back on topic," Luna cut in. "Wren will be your supervisor, and Sailor V will also be accompanying you."

Makoto sat forward.

"And furthermore…" Luna started. "Ack!"

Makoto had leapt over the table and yanked Luna to her feet by the shoulders. She held the woman tightly looking ecstatic.

"What did you just say?" Makoto asked in a tone similar to a child in a candy store.

"Uh, that Wren's your supervisor and Sailor V's also going along," Luna replied, taken back.

It took a moment for that to register, but when it did Makoto began to giggling and hopping up and down excitedly, bringing Luna along for the ride.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I'm going to meet Sailor V in person! EEHEEHEEHEEHEE!"

She suddenly pulled the startled Luna in a tight embrace.

"Yes! I have to remember to get me an autograph book! Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have no idea how much I've wanted to meet her!"

"That's...nice…air…need air…" Luna wheezed.

"Ah! Mako, let go! You're going to break Luna squeezing her that tight!" Usagi cried.

"Huh?" Makoto looked at Usagi.

She broke off the bear hug and looked down at the limp and dazed Luna in her arms.

"Oops. Heh, heh. I guess I forget my own strength sometimes," Makoto said sheepishly.

"Big Sailor V fan?" Rei asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Usagi replied.

**A/N: **The Face Taker is based on the creepypasta story, _The Pocket_.


	13. Chapter 12: Dangerous Encounter

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Not particularly. The original 'pasta had an odd choice for the creature's name.

**SomeoftheFame: **Thank you. Yeah, I guess it does kind of remind one of _Blair Witch 2_.

And thanks, everyone else.

**Chapter 12**

**Dangerous Encounter**

Wakagi puffed a cigarette. He was standing under the light of a streetlamp. He leaned his back against an old building in an old part of the district. He was waiting for someone. That someone stepped into the light holding a small, cardboard package.

"That's it, right?" Wakagi asked, gesturing at the box.

The other man looked around nervously before answering.

"Yeah, yeah. This is it, alright. Here, just take it. I don't want to get caught taking security footage from the station. Ishida almost caught me making this copy."

"I know. Here's your pay."

The man reached for the money, but Wakagi didn't let go of it immediately. The other man looked at Wakagi slightly confused.

"Now… This IS really the footage of the doom bus disappearing, right?" Wakagi asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I swear," his contact whispered.

Wakagi let go on the yen, allowing the man to pocket it.

"Get out of here. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, we'll both go down."

The other man wordlessly disappeared into the night. Wakagi dropped the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. He then walked a good distance to his car. He drove heading straight for Mizuno Labs.

* * *

"You're certain of this, Dr. Zimbalist?" Myddin asked.

"Very certain," Zimbalist replied. "I examined the bodies of both Katie Sandler and Peter Fisher, myself. I took a full psychic reading of both of them. There's no doubt about it. They were just gushing with abnormal amounts of energy mere seconds before they died. Then, nothing…something siphoned it all away," Zimbalist explained.

"Something? More like _someone_," Myddin replied.

He leaned back in his chair, resting both hands flat on his desk.

"But how? And why?" Myddin mused.

"My readings haven't told me that," Zimbalist replied. "With all their life's energy gone, there was very little for me work with."

"So the servants of The Dark Kingdom brought their energies to an all-time peak," Pious said. "The methodology and purpose are clear, but how were they targeted? That's the question that needs answering, still."

* * *

Mamoru fished a letter out of his mailbox at the front of the apartment building. There was no return address. In place of where one would normally go was the symbol of a circle with a line passing through. An arrow pointed straight up coming out of the circle. He looked around to make sure no one was looking, then opened it up, and began to read the contents.

* * *

Saturday, April 25th

"Daaaaaad, hurry up, or I'm going to miss Phantom Ace!" a girl whined.

"Just a minute, Minako…" her father replied while fumbling with the TV antenna's wiring. "Be patient. It's not connected. This antenna's wiring is tricky!"

After a few minutes of working out which wire fit where he plugged them all in and went around to the front of the TV.

"Alright, this should do it," Minako's father said.

He turned the knob on the television.

HISSSSSS.

"Hmm. It doesn't seem to be working," he said matter-of-factly.

"Aww, nuts! C'mon dad! Fix it! Fix!" Minako insisted shrilly.

"MINA!" her mother shouted from the kitchen.

Minako winced and looked over at the angry woman standing in the doorway.

"Yes, mother," Minako replied timidly.

"GAH! All this whining about TV! TV! TV! Quit your bawling and get to studying! If you don't, you'll be as unsuccessful in life just like your father!" her mother shouted angrily.

"Hey!" her father protested.

A good glare from his wife and he shrank out of a sight. Her mother turned back to her and pointed down the hall to Minako's room.

"STUDY! NOW!"

Minako obeyed, however grudgingly, and went to her room. She hopped onto her bed and covered herself in the sheets.

"Oh, man, this sucks. Guess I'll have to hear how Phantom Ace defeats Dr. Hinsano from Hikaru tomorrow."

She grabbed her alarm clock off the dresser next to her bed and looked at the time.

"I have to leave to go meet up with Artemis and the Warriors in another hour, anyway," she thought. "If I can't watch TV, then I might as well just go now."

Mina took out her compact.

"Alright, I need an illusion of myself," she told it.

A second Minako appeared standing in the middle of the room.

"Alright, I need it to look like its studying and have it go to bed around 8 o'clock."

The image sat down on its knees in front of table in the middle of her room and fake books materializing. A few minutes later the real Mina pushed her window open and climbed out onto the fire exit. She closed it behind before continuing.

The words "usage of the Digital Body Double has been recorded" flickered on the device's screen. She scowled at the message, knowing that it meant she wouldn't be able to just bail whenever she wanted, because Artemis always knew when she'd used it.

She slid down the last ladder to the pavement o the alley, leaving the apartment building behind. On her way to her destination, she passed by the Game Crown. She looked in, and on whim decided to waste some time playing games. She went in and looked around, deciding on what to play.

"Hi, Mina," Motoki waved from the front counter.

"Hi, Motoki," she called back.

She walked over to the game she wanted to play and put a coin in. She soon lost herself in the gameplay and time passed without number. That is, until someone crept up behind her.

"I thought you'd be here. You must be one of the only girls to come here," Artemis said.

Mina looked up from destroying the forces invading the space station at the white cat sitting atop the machine.

"What? Is it time to go already?"

"Yeah, sorry. I know you love that game a bit too much, but it's time to go."

"Well, can I beat this one last boss?"

"No, it's time to go!"

"Aw, man, this sucks!"

"Just don't make a scene today, please? Now come on, you quarrelsome girl."

"Transsexual cat," Mina muttered.

"Transsexual?! Why I never…!" Artemis sputtered.

"_Artemis is a girl's name! Artemis is a girl's name!"_ Mina sang.

Artemis was speechless.

"Mina, that's really impressive. How did you know that?" Artemis asked, surprised.

"I learned it from playing that Greek-themed fighting game over there! Artemis was the Virgin Hunting goddess as well as goddess of the moon, sister to the sun-god, Apollo," Mina pointed to the machine.

"Of course that'd be where **you **would learn something like that," Artemis sighed.

He'd gotten his hopes up for nothing.

"Aw, you made me lose," Mina whined.

"Never mind that, let's go," Artemis ordered.

He hopped onto her shoulder. She picked him up and held him in her arms on the way out.

* * *

Luna and the girls sat in a waiting room in Keeper HQ. Luna was reading a book while the girls found their own ways of amusing themselves while awaiting Sailor V. Usagi was struggling with a Japanese-English Translation Guide, Rei was solving some crossword puzzles, and Makoto was sifting through a Handicraft Magazine.

"[HOW…ARE…YOU…]" Usagi stuttered in English. "[NICE? NICE TO…?"]

She looked back down at it.

"M-MATE…?"

"[Meet]," Luna, Makoto and Rei all corrected, not looking up from their own activities.

"[NICE TO MEET YOU]," Usagi said.

Usagi slapped the book against her knees, sighing.

"Man, now I wish I paid more attention during English," she groaned.

She looked up at Luna.

"Say, Luna, with all your High Tech gizmos and stuff, you wouldn't happen to have, like… a universal translator whatsamajig, would you?"

"No," Luna replied and kept on reading.

Usagi turned to Makoto.

"Don't you need to study up on your English, too?"

"Not really. Mom and dad planned a trip to visit my uncle and his family a year in advance to give me time to learn English," Makoto answered.

"But that to be had years ago," Usagi replied.

"Uncle calls me often to check up on me."

Makoto chuckled affectionately thinking of him.

"He's such a worrywart, but the conversations in English keep it fresh in my head."

"Oh…." Usagi said.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about The Face Taker, anyway?" Rei asked.

"I _am_. I'd rather try to learn some English than have to think about it, though," Usagi muttered under her breath.

She suddenly felt very alone, knowing she'd be the only one to not understand a single thing that'd be said to them once they got over to the States. Silence set in, until Rei decided to break it.

"So has anyone been down to the bottom floor?" Rei asked curiously.

"The Detention Level?" Usagi asked.

She and Makoto shook their heads.

"There's been no need to expose you girls to the filth that's in containment down there," Luna said not looking up from her book. "Suffice to say it's our equivalent of a prison, only a lot more complex."

"Does every cell have to be custom made to hold different monsters or something?" Rei asked.

"You got it," Luna replied.

"So…how come it has an ordinary door leading to it like the top two floors?" Rei asked.

"That's just the first door that gets you into Registry. The real prison door is a huge seven foot thick magic/supernatural-proofed titanium vault door with several billion locks, codes, and combinations that automatically change every twelve hours holding it shut," Luna explained.

"Sheesh! Just what all do you have locked in there?" Makoto gasped.

"You want that in Order of Incarceration or Alphabetical?" Luna asked bluntly.

"Uh…" Makoto stammered.

"Sailor V has entered the facility," a voice spoke out of the speaker in the wall.

"Time to suit up, girls," Luna said.

The girls stood, putting their books back in their bags. Makoto took out an autograph book she'd bought and a pen. Then they changed into their Warrior identities. Moon and Mars kept their weapons retracted into the handles and fastened them to their belts. Jupiter took several calming breaths holding her little book in her hands.

"Alright, I'm going to play this cool. I'm just going to ask for her autograph and that'll be the end of it."

The door to the waiting room burst and in somersaulted Sailor V. She flipped into the air landing on a coffee table. She made the Victor sign in one hand while holding her other fist straight flowing power into making it glow.

"Greetings, Warriors! I'm Pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor V, for Victory!" she grandstanded.

"You don't have to make a big entrance _inside _Keeper HQ, V," Artemis shouted wearied and annoyed from the door.

"Aw, but I wanted to impress everyone!" V piped.

"Off the coffee table!" the receptionist shouted.

"Huh?" V turned to face her.

The old woman held a broom and jabbed the girl with it.

"Hey, whoa! Hey! Hey! Alright! Geez!"

V dropped onto the floor. Artemis, Luna, and Mars watched looking very unimpressed while Moon was in a laughing fit. Jupiter was beside herself in her speechlessness.

"Hey, don't laugh at the Soldier of Justice!" V wailed at Moon.

"I'm sorry, but you're funny!"

"If I can have your attention now," Luna said.

"_Oh. My. God._ You're the real thing! Sailor V! In person!" Jupiter exclaimed ecstatically.

"Wah!" Sailor V cried in surprised.

Jupiter had grabbed her hand was pumping it up and down in a fierce handshake that jerked the other girls' entire body around. When she let go, V nearly fell down. Jupiter held up the small book and pen and made several quick bows.

"Could you sign your autograph in here? I've been a huge fan for a long time. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"S-ssSuRre," V replied dizzily.

"As I was saying," Luna grumbled impatiently. "_Now that I have your attention_, this is how the mission will be carried out."

She looked at a starry eyed Jupiter reading and rereading the scribbled words in her book to her.

"JUPITER!" Luna shouted.

"Ah! Uh, yes," Jupiter replied, facing her and holding her book and pen behind her back.

Luna's eye was visibly twitching at this point.

"Your mission will follow as thus: On the top floor, _make sure you go into the __U.S.__ Transport Room_. It's labeled _U.S.A._ up there, so don't look through the A's for _America. _You will use the phone to set the coordinates."

She held up a slip of paper.

"Just follow these instructions and you'll be fine. Here."

She handed the slip to Mars.

"I'm counting on you to get to everyone there."

"Ah, what about me?" Moon and V bemoaned together.

Luna gave them both a stern glare.

"Scary…" Moon and V shrank back.

"You'll be transported to the Joe's Convenience Store in Barrington, Illinois. The Central Time Zone in fifteen hours behind Japan. Here it's 2 in the afternoon, but it'll be 11 o'clock at night there. The store will be closed, so no one will see you. Just use the back exit to leave. Wren will be waiting with a car and he'll personally drive you to the site. The Face Taker may be a part of some scheme to gather energy. So a part of your mission aside from its elimination will be to discover _why_ The Face Taker is there at all. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," all four replied.

"Good. Now go. Watch each other's backs and you'll come out of this alive. …Make sure you call either Artemis or me when you're through, okay. Any questions?"

"How come you're not coming with us?" Moon asked.

"Dark Kingdom activity has been detected in town. While you go deal with the threat of The Face Taker, I'll be watching over Tokyo with Artemis."

"Should we be going, then?" Moon asked.

"**Yes**," both Luna and Artemis said.

"The Face Taker's presence in Barrington puts the entire town in grave danger," Luna said. "In past times, that monster has leveled entire villages and townships. Almost 10,000 people live there. They could _all_ _die_ if The Face Taker is left to its devices."

"So no pressure, right?" Mars quipped nervously.

The incredulous looks of everyone else in the room told her that this was an ill-timed joke.

"Sorry," Mars said quietly, looking away.

V raised her hand.

"Yes," Luna said.

"Is it possible that The Face Taker isn't guarding something so much as waiting for something? Or someone? This might be another of scheme to distract us, only this time they're playing for keeps," V suggested.

"Very possible, and that's why you have plenty of back-up this time," Luna answered.

"Let's go," Moon said seriously.

The others followed her out into the hall. Luna and Artemis watched them leave through the door at the end and head up the stairs. They both wore worried looks.

"I don't like this," Artemis said somberly.

"Me, neither. I'm sending girls not even in high school yet off to war," Luna's voice trembled.

Artemis put his arm around her comfortingly. She leaned into him resting her head his chest.

"They'll be fine," Artemis tried to sound confident. "We didn't wait a thousand years for those girls just for them lose to an opponent like The Face Taker now."

* * *

"Alright, these are in alphabetical order," Rei said.

Rei led the way through the seemingly endless halls of doors. How big the top floor of Keeper HQ was made itself clear before long.

"Guess we should have seen this one coming," Moon said. "A Joe' Convenience Store in every nation of the world, and Earth is big."

"Well, we're on the T's now, so we're not that far off," Jupiter commented.

A few more hallways and they found it. Rei went in first, followed by Jupiter, Moon, and V. The four were packed in the tiny room.

"This is going to be a pain when there're five of us," Mars said as she was squashed against the phone.

"Ack! Your armor's sticking into my side," V whined.

"Sorry, but I can't move that well in here," Moon replied.

Rei held up the slip while picking up the phone. 5-3-3-7, she dialed. It rang twice before an operator answered.

"Hello, you've reached the Keeper's Transport Center. How may I direct your teleportation?" a woman's voice said in a polite tone.

"Barrington, Illinois, 60010. Latitude: North 42° 9'. Longitude: West 88° 7.8'."

"Thank you. You have arrived at your destination. Have a nice day."

The operator hung up.

"That should do it," Mars said.

V opened the door and stepped out. Sure enough, they were in a dark convenience store. The rear exit was right next to them.

"Wow, we're in a different country. Hard to believe," Moon said.

"Well, while we're here," V said mischievously.

She started to grab a candy bar off one of the shelves.

"How are you going to pay for that?" Jupiter asked, not seeing a cashier.

"You _were_ planning on paying for that, right?" Mars asked.

"Uh, of course!" V lied.

Mars crossed her arms disapprovingly. V sighed and put it back.

"Fine," she muttered.

Moon took in a breath and then let it out. She turned to the others, her nerves steeled.

"Alright, let's just get out of here and do this thing," she said.

V and Jupiter nodded and started to follow her. Mars paused for a second, noting her behavior. Moon opened the back exit and sure enough, there was Wren waiting for them with a van ready. He leaned against the driver's side door of the vehicle.

"Hi there, my cool little beauties!" he said. "Welcome to America! Getting through customs wasn't too much of a bother, was it?"

"Eh?" Moon, Jupiter, and Mars uttered.

Mars looked annoyed while Moon and Jupiter blushed.

"Beauty?" V asked, flirtatiously.

"Why yes. You all look _so _cute in your gear that it's hard to believe you gals routinely kick major behind at least once a week. So are you armed and dangerous flowers ready to show The Face Taker that what-for?"

By this time, Jupiter was downright luminescent.

"Is this guy just kidding, or should we be taking this as harassment," Mars whispered to Jupiter.

"Ugh! We don't have time for this!" Moon said forcefully, taking everyone by surprise. "This is serious, you know? We could really get hurt this time!"

Wren held up both hands disarmingly.

"Hey, whoa there. I know. Believe me, I know. I'm just trying to lighten the mood," Wren said. "No need to get violent, I'm delicate, you know."

"Hey, cool it," Mars said to Moon.

"What?" Moon asked defensively.

"You've been like this all day," Mars said disapprovingly. "I know this is dangerous, but keep your head, for crying out loud."

"I am," Moon said, and climbed into the van.

"Pfft. Right," Mars said sardonically.

The trip to the silo wasn't silent despite Moon's outburst. The entire way, Jupiter asked for accounts of Sailor V's escapades, which the latter was too glad to give.

"…And that's how I stopped Petite Pandora," V finished.

"Alright, girls, we're here," Wren said.

When they pulled up, they saw that the farmyard was full of men in black suits and even some military personnel. They had a blockade surrounding the silo and armed men pointing their guns at it from all sides. In the distance, the girls could make out the dim glow of a shield around the silo. Wren and the four girls climbed out.

A heavy-set older man with a bald head and thick glasses in a gray suit approached Wren.

"Commission Keeper Winston," Wren said.

"High Keeper Wren," Winston saluted. "We've been here all evening and not a peep."

"Good. _Good_," Wren replied. "At ease, soldier. This way, pretties."

Mars rolled her eyes as they followed them over to the silo.

"Hey, is it getting colder," Jupiter asked.

"Oh yeah. The whole silo is surrounded in a thick aura," Wren replied.

They stopped in front of the perimeter that had been set up. The Keepers had gone to the trouble of setting up a fence around it, too. The kind you'd find keeping prisoners inside, and just outside of that a standard police barricade.

"Well, how do you like it?" Wren asked jovially. "Sure, it doesn't look like much now, but a new paint job, a sofa, and maybe a few throw pillows…"

He turned with a smile to the girls, who greeted him with grim expressions. The smile faded and he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Alrighty then…"

Wren cleared his throat.

"Obviously, this is the silo. You can walk right up and touch the exterior without getting attacked. It's _just_ the inside that ol' beasty doesn't want us to see. This place is protected by the best fences money can afford, and one…" Wren paused.

He picked up a rock and hefted it over it. It collided with the dully shimmering magical barrier and disintegrated.

"…And one fence money can't buy," Wren finished.

"Does that fence actually keep it in?" Mars asked.

"Heavens, no, girl," Winston said. "That shielding would stop some of the lower level monsters Zoicite has had you up against, but against this thing… Oh, I imagine it'd buy us a spare minute to prepare once The Face Taker comes out."

Jupiter quietly translated Winston's response to Moon.

"A whole minute, _maybe_," Wren said.

"Guess we better make that one heck of a minute," Jupiter mused.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Mars asked. "We do have a plan, right?"

"I'm thinking," Moon said.

"Think faster," Mars said. "Or do you want me to have to think of one."

"Hey, I am perfectly capable of leading us!" Moon exclaimed.

Jupiter walked over and pushed her way between them.

"Not now, ladies," she said.

"Um?" Moon stammered. "Well, let's see… Luna said to find out what's happening in there."

"Yes?" Mars asked impatiently.

"So… I don't know…"

Mars sighed.

"Hey, Wren, does a ladder on the inside run all the way to the top like the one outside?" Mars asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, so we send Sailor V to the top of the silo and have her go inside to investigate once we've provoked a fight out of The Face Taker," Mars suggested. "She gets in, finds out why it's here, and gets back out."

"What?! Me? In _there_! By myself?!" V exclaimed.

"Yeah, duh," Mars said. "The freak'll be out here, so I don't see a problem."

"Unless he doesn't take the bai-oof!" Jupiter said.

Jupiter glared grumpily at Mars, who'd elbowed her in the side.

"He _will_ take the bait," Moon insisted, holding up her sword. "We won't give him any other choice."

Wren held up a radio to his lips.

"Alright, the Warriors are entering the field. Open a hole for them to pass through. Over," he said.

About two minutes later a gap in the field opened up large enough for the girls to pass through.

"Alright, you all be careful in there, and draw it out here as fast as you can. _Don't _fight it on its turf," Wren instructed. "My men and I are here to back you up. This is a coordinated attack. Don't forget that."

"We won't," Moon answered.

The gate of the fence opened, letting the giels through.

V sprinted through the gap first and quickly began to scale the structure towards the top. The other three stopped in front of the very opening the four teens had passed through before. Moon hopped up onto the opening and down inside, followed by the others. The inside was much the same as it had been before, but the blood strains were much fresher now.

They didn't see the creature anywhere, but the hatch was still open.

"Look like we're expected," Mars said.

"…Yeah," Jupiter whispered back.

They slowly crowded around the opening leading down and looked in. Below was the blooded-strained ladder and floor below them. The hatch below was left open, too. The lock broken off from The Face Taker forcing it open and a horrible smell wafted up. They all covered their noses in disgust.

"Ah, man, please don't tell me we have to go down _there_!" Jupiter choked.

"Alright, I won't tell you," Moon replied.

Moon swallowed and closed her eyes. After a moment of collecting herself, she hesitantly lifted a foot up towards the first rung but then stopped set it back down.

"I _so _don't want to do this…" she spoke in a frightened whisper.

Jupiter and Mars looked back at her sympathetically. Now it was Jupiter's turn to gulp.

"Th-then, I guess I'll go down and get his attention. You guys just be ready to run. I'll be right back."

Jupiter hopped into the hole and fell through next until she hit the floor at the bottom within the tunnel. She looked around expecting to see only darkness, but oddly, her vision was clear. She suspected it was the gear that was giving her night vision. All around were the decayed headless remains of The Face Taker's victims. Each and every one had their chest ripped open as the report said. Jupiter felt sick and filthy, both inside and out just looking at them.

"Jupiter, are you okay?" Moon asked.

"Yeah… Yeah! I'm…fine," Jupiter's voice died out.

After a moment's reluctance, Jupiter's voice ripped through the tunnel loudly.

"Hey, Face Taker! Your mother was a fur rug!"

Jupiter slapped herself on her forehead.

"_Your mother was a fur rug_? What kind of insult is that?!"

Regardless, it did the trick. The howl of The Face Taker pierced the air. She heard its rumbling footsteps coming down the tunnel.

"It's coming!" Jupiter yelled and jumped up.

She came to rest on the ladder halfway between the middle and top hatches. Moon and Mars stepped back as Jupiter flew up and out in another bound.

"It's coming!" Mars hollered upwards.

They exited the silo quickly. The Keepers looked at them with expectant alarm.

"They did it! Men, get ready!" Wren bellowed.

"God help us," one of them said.

The girls rushed through the still open hole in the barrier. It closed behind them with a 'pop' and the Keepers pulled the outer fence closed, too. The Warriors raced up alongside Wren. Then The Face Taker leapt out of his lair. For a second, the Keepers stood in frozen terror. There it was in plain sight. The thing glanced around. He spotted the girls that dared to intrude upon his domain almost immediately. It snorted and growled at them. Then it opened its horrible mask-like mouth and spoke in that whispering voice again:

"The Celestial Warriors have come to pay me a visit?"

It rushed them without hesitation. He collided with the barrier, but instead of bouncing off it, he pressed himself against it and slowly, but surely, began to push through it.

Moon and Mars looked up and saw Sailor V disappear down into the inside of the silo. The diversion was working. They just needed to either kill this thing or keep it busy long enough for V to discover its true purpose. She looked back down to see the beast weakening the magic shield. In a few more pushes, it would be broken and they'd have to fight it.

The Face Taker stepped back and threw its body weight into the shield again. The magic unraveled! Now the intruders would pay. The Keepers opened fire, but the creature barely flinched as each bullet entered and exited its body. Within moments, its form was shredded by bullets down to the bone, and as the men stopped to reload, The Face Taker's wounds closed leaving nothing but scares.

"That won't wooooooork," The Face Taker snickered.

It roared again and lunged right through the fence, tearing it apart like it was glass. Wren raised his arm.

"Cease fire!" he yelled.

Moon and Jupiter took this cue to charge forward. Mars fired shots that passed between them at the beast. The darts stuck into the creature's chest, but seemed to do nothing to it. It raised both fists to clash with the two warriors coming at him.

* * *

Sailor V dropped to the ground and ran over to the opened hatch. She slid down to the first underground room. She paused upon getting a sniff of the odor coming from below. She plugged her nose.

"Bleh! Oh man, this is going to suck!" she whined.

She sighed, and plunged down into the tunnels below to begin her search.

* * *

Jupiter slammed into a tree while Moon skidded across the ground. The monster charged Mars, who leapt away up into the treetops. The Keepers drew their arms, whether gun or melee weapon like a sword and rushed the beast. The Face Taker faced stomped forward towards them.

"You, men, fire on it now!" Wren ordered. "Just do it!"

Wren summoned up a short sword and shield and leaned forward into a low run. Bullets flew through the air which hit the beast in dead on. It growled in response and sped up. The gunners backed away in tactical retreat. Only the truly brave (or insane) were rushing in for the kill now. Face Taker swung at Wren, but the red head contorted his body low and out of the way at an almost impossible fashion. He slashed face Taker across the stomach and dived away allowing the other men to tackle it.

The men yelled a single word making their blades gleam with power as they all plunged them into the creature from all sides. The Face Taker just took the punishment, allowing the swords to sink in up the hilt. The men continued to stab at it while it sat motionless. The three Warriors ran up and beheld the scene with baffled looks. Wren looked and then shrugged.

Then in a single motion, Face Taker threw them all off sending them flying in all directions. Men went splat on the ground or became tangled in the tree limbs. Wren surveyed the falling carnage and scratched his head. He turned to the girls.

"Well, I'm out of ideas," he shrugged.

* * *

Sailor V put her hands on her hips unhappily looking at the fork in the road ahead of her. She took out her compact and opened it.

"Give me a ball of string!"

The item appeared. She tied it to the ground and unrolled it as she took the right passage.

* * *

"NO! N-AAAURGH!"

Face Taker plunged its hands into the man's chest and tore him apart, throwing the two halves to the side. Jupiter charged in with one electrified fist raised above her. She jumped up bearing down on it. She hammered into the beast, but instead of the usual sensation of knocking it back, it felt like slamming right into a thick, steel wall. Her entire body felt the brunt of the impact and she stood there from the shock. Weakly, she looked up at the wretched skin-mask face of the creature, and it's already unnatural smile broadened.

It stood perfectly still as the lightning charged through it without effect. It punched her right in the midsection and she collided with a truck. Moon and Mars looked from Jupiter back to the Face Taker. It now closed in on them.

"Any ideas?" Mars asked.

"Yeah. We hit it until we find a spot that's sore," Moon replied. "'Til then. Hit and run!"

Moon rushed Face Taker, a plan forming in her head. It plunged its out-stretched arms at her torso, and she spread her arms wide taking the hit. The beast's hands glanced off her armor and then she back-flipped away. Mars stood behind slack-jawed.

"That was reckless! What if he could get through our armor?!" Mars shrieked incredulously.

"Well, if he could, we'd have been dead soon or later," Moon answered.

"So we're well protected, huh," Jupiter asked shakily.

She wobbled up to the other two.

"Cool," Jupiter then added.

A bullet went into the back of The Face Taker's head, and its body fell limp. The end of Wren's barrel smoked as he and his men looked cautiously at it.

"Did that do it?" Wren called over.

The Face Taker stood back, the bullet falling out of the back of its head. Everyone took a step back.

"I'd say, 'No'," Moon called back at Wren.

The Face Taker whipped around, its eyes landing on Wren.

"Shit," Wren managed to squeak.

The beast began sprinting at them with its massive arm outstretched, ready to grab the man that had hurt it. But then Moon's blade plunged into the base of its neck and withdrew again. Face Taker crashed into the ground and rolled itself over.

"Hey, ugly, wanna a piece of this?!" Moon shouted.

She turned around and smacked her rear at it while sticking her tongue out the beast. It bristled and snarled at the taunt.

"Face Taker, eh?" Jupiter added. "What's the matter? Too ugly to show your own face? You have to take somebody else's?"

"Are you supposed to look like a knuckled-dragger, or is that just you?" Mars shouted.

The Face Taker repeatedly beat its fist against the ground shrieking at them.

"SHUT UP!" it shouted.

"Come over her and make us!" Moon taunted.

It flipped itself upright. The three were off heading into the woods away from the Keepers. The beast gave chase. Wren and men ran for their vehicles and drove after The Face Taker. Much to the Warriors' dismay, the Face Taker was quick and able to keep up with them. So the three jumped up into the tree branches and leapt from the branch to branch.

"I'm going to try something," Mars announced and broke off from the others.

"Don't anything crazy, that thing will kill you!" Moon shouted.

"No duh," Mars shot back and was off. "Just make sure I have a clean shot."

Moon and Jupiter and jumped onto the ground, facing the Face Taker. The beast crashed through a thick patch of trees, sending them falling to the ground.

''Ah, crap!" Jupiter cried out.

They jumped back just in time to avoid getting crushed under the falling timber. The Face Taker noticed the girls hopping over a rolling tree to avoid it and got an idea. As it passed another tree, it ripped it off its based and threw it at the warriors. It soared through the air ripping through many more trees, sending them over causing yet more to break and come down towards the ground. The warriors screamed and started to run away as The Face Taker kept this up. It tore more and more from the ground and showered the destruction all throughout the forest.

The Face Taker turned and saw the headlights of the Keepers' trucks heading for it. The first one was coming right at it. Behind the wheel was Wren and he had it floored. Before the monstrosity could do anything else, Wren rammed it with the truck and drove headlong right into the base of a great, thick oak, pinning the creature against it. The impact slammed Wren and the passenger forward and all was still inside the truck for a moment.

The Face Taker pressed both hands against the front of the truck and started to push it away. Above Mars landed on a thick branch. She puffed out quick breath, having had to be quick to avoid being in a tree that the thing threw. She summoned a fire arrow and notched it. She took aim and fired. Just as Face Taker got free, the projectile went right into its eye. The fell forward and went still on the ground.

"Did I get it?" Mars asked.

Wren and his passenger stumbled out of the truck. Wren had a nasty gash on his forehead, and had to wipe the blood away from his eyes. The other Keepers slowly and cautiously exited their vehicles and stared out at the thing.

"Don't get near it, it could be a trick," Wren warned.

Then the Face Taker rose to its feet again.

"See?" Wren muttered and backed away.

The Face Taker roared at them, turned, and grabbed the tree it had just been pinned to.

"Shit! Somebody stop it!"

One man pulled a rocket launcher out of the trunk of the jeep he drove and started loading it. Other opened fire of the beast again while others got back into their vehicles and started backing away.

"YAAAAAH!" Moon screamed.

The double bladed sword flew through the air like a javelin glowing with power. It caught The Face Taker in the side knocking it off balance. The beast screamed in agony, and pulled the blade out of its side. The man aimed the rocket launcher and fired. It screamed through the air. Face Taker whirled around and spotted the incoming object. Just as missile reached it, it back-handed it away. It spun out in midair and collided with the ground, exploding harmlessly some yards away.

Wren fell onto his back at that, shielding his face from the debris.

"Whoa, you've got to kidding me!" he shouted.

Then it finally grabbed the tree and flung it at the Keepers. It sailed over Wren towards the main force. The men screamed as the tore through its kin and rolled over them while others came down and flattened them. In a second, the scene was that of chaos.

Mars hopped down, landing back to Moon and Jupiter.

"What is this thing's weak spot?!" Moon exclaimed. "We've hit it everywhere. The front, the back, the eyes, the head, and…everywhere!"

Wren struggled to his feet and fell back against a tree. The Face Taker closed in on him. The three Warriors broke into a dead sprint to stop it.

"No…no…don 't…" Wren begged.

"Die, Keeper," it whispered and reached for him.

Then two persons landed right in front of it, planting themselves firmly between Wren and Face Taker. It was Phantom Mask and another man in red armor.

"O-Orion!" Wren whispered in shock.

"We don't think so, ugly," Mask said firmly to the Face Taker.

* * *

"Well, that's interesting," Sailor V observed.

Before her was a seemingly ordinary wall, but through her mask she could see a slight distortion in reality warning her of the presence of some deceptive magic meant to cover up what she knew was there. Between her experience with this sort of thing and the power of her compact, V knew how to cast away the illusion. She held it up and opened the object she carried with her. The glowing rune that sustained the mask over reality appeared.

It looked like a closed eye with three triangles over it. V reached up, knowing what to do. She ran her hand through each triangle left-to-right. First she ran her hand through the center shape, then the right, and then the left. The illusion rolled back like a curtain. Now there was a short flight of three stairs leading up to bronze double doors rounded at the top. The wall around the door was bricked and manmade, unlike the rest of the walls in the natural caverns. The doors were decorated with three images. Near the top was a pair of eagle-like wings, and below were twin images of a scale, but they weren't balanced. The left side held a box which weighed it down. Neither door had a door knob or lock.

"So it was guarding something," Sailor V muttered.

She cautiously went up to the steps to the door. It was time to shed some light on this situation. She paused in front of the door not knowing how to get in. She looked around for some kind of mechanism to open it, but spotted none.

"Password activated, huh?" she stated.

She considered a choice between knocking and simply forcing the portal open. Then her compact began flashing. It was a warning she was all too familiar with that there was a change in the environment. She heard something click and she jumped back from the floor just in front of the doors, anticipating a trap door. The floor failed to open, so V looked up in time to see a pattern of black, twisted cords descending down on her from the dark ceiling.

As the mesh of wire and cocooning twine cascaded over her, the sailor-suited soldier saw the sorcery animating it. With a simple urging of will, she flowed power into her gloved hands and focused on keeping it at bay. The enchanted energies in the net began to constrict around her. A moment later, the compact flashed, releasing a jolt of crackling energy through the net's filaments, melting, popping, and reducing it to ashes at Sailor V's feet.

Unexpectedly, the bronze doors swung wide open. Sailor V peered in through the opening into the room beyond. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Alright, if that's how you want it," she said.

Inside was a large room comparable in size to an auditorium. The smell of dried blood was thick. The floor and walls were covered in all manner of symbols and magic circles. Cages lined the walls to the right where there were also little cells in the wall. Tables and tables filled the room, covered with all manner of lab equipment. There were also gurneys, slabs, tables covered in chemistry equipment, and operating tables. Some of the operating tables were still occupied by still, covered, forms. There were also chalkboards with equations and scattered notes all over the place.

Then, in the center, was a tall, glass tube filled with water that went all the way from floor-to-ceiling. It seemed to house something, but Sailor V wasn't close enough to get a good look. She slowly made her way through the lab. All the equipment was standard size, intended for use by human-sized workers, so she guessed that none of it belonged to the large, brutish Face Taker.

Near the glass tube was a table where star charts and astronomical equipment had been set up. Sailor V passed them by and stared into the tube. Around the tube were computer consoles and objects for taking readings of some kind. Inside it, though, was a single black crystal.

"Now what are you?" Sailor V asked aloud.

* * *

The Face Taker plucked out the arrows Orion had fired into its chest like they were nothing, only for another to be fired into it. It sighed and reached for it. Without warning, the dart exploded knocking the beast onto its back. The lips of the orifice in its chest quivered and it writhed in pain on the ground.

"Its chest cavity is its only weakness!" Orion yelled. "We force it to open its chest and then strike!"

Moon, Mask, and Jupiter nodded, understanding. Mars stood, stunned at the sight of Orion.

"You…" she muttered.

Orion looked her way.

"Later," he said.

"Orion, wait," Wren said.

He stepped forward, reaching to put a hand on his long missing comrade's shoulder. Orion glanced back at him, but ran over to the Warriors to form an attack group with them and Mask.

"Another time, old friend," Orion shouted. "Wren, you just get your men out of here for now! You can't do anymore good right now!"

"What?" Wren exclaimed.

Orion took a spot beside Mars while Moon, Mask, and Jupiter stood in the front.

"I know you. You saw you in a vision," Mars said.

"A foretelling of this moment," Orion said.

"You ready for this?" Mask asked Moon.

"Don't worry about me, but how did you guys get here?" she answered.

The Face Taker righted itself and roared at them.

"I'll explain later," Mask said.

"You…Orion. It's been a very long time," The Face Taker whispered.

"Not long enough," Orion replied contemptuously.

The skinned-face of the Face Taker's last victim no longer smiled. The thing shrieked again and leapt into the trees.

"After it!" Moon ordered.

The five chased after it, trying not to lose their quarry now. A tree flew at them from the darkness, the Warriors leapt over it while Mask and Orion dived out the way.

"If Wren and his men want to follow, they'll have an easy enough time keeping the trail," Jupiter quipped.

"How do you know so much about The Face Taker?" Mars called to Orion.

"Experience," he answered.

The five stepped onto the steep embankment of a ditch. They peered down and spotted the beast below glaring up at them. Moon and Mask exchanged a look and nodded. They leapt over the edge and started sliding down it with Jupiter right behind. Mars jumped onto higher ground while Orion stayed right where he was. The Face Taker screamed up at them and it picked up a nearby log. In the distance, the roar of engines could be heard as Wren's team regrouped.

The three attackers zigzagged in single-file to keep where they would attack from, and who would come first, ambiguous. It was Jupiter who made the first move. She threw herself up feet first into the air and flew at Face Taker intending to give him a shocking face-stomp. The attack connected, burning the skin-mask. It started to peel back revealing the skeletal-lupine features underneath. Now white pupils of black eyes could be seen in the boney eye sockets of the thing as the edges of the mask clung around the edges of its face.

Without a beat passing between blows, Mask came in and slashed it on the lip on its chest. Before it could grab him, Moon's blades also cut in multiple times, getting to a scream in pain and stumble back. One of Mars's arrows hit it on the chest right between the lips. The fires burst, igniting its chest. The thing squealed and the orifice tensed, pulling open involuntarily. The tentacles inside squirmed and thrashed about.

Jupiter leapt with an arm pulled back and lightning building. She thrust it forward right into the hollow inwards of the thing's chest and unleashed all the power she could into it. The Face Taker's entire body ignited into fire and light. It screamed, frozen as pain overwhelmed all its senses. Jupiter leaned her head back as the appendages within gripped her. They didn't try to pull her in as they had others, but rather, they just clung to her in pain.

Moon and Mask were by her side in an instant and they began cutting the offending limps away to free their companion. Jupiter jumped back when she could and in her place Moon and Mask stabbed into the hollow pocket-like space in The Face Taker before backing off. The Face Taker fell onto its knees and sat there limply. The lips of its opening hung loose as well. Mars and Orion pulled back their bowstrings and fired another shot, each.

Their shots burst within the beast, burning it from the inside out. The fires overcame its entire body. The five fighters all relaxed, thinking it dead. But then, from within its chest pocket, a red light glowed brightly and red electricity-like energy shot all over the body of the beast. The five watched in horror as it was restored. It burned body regenerated, the tentacles in his chest regrow, and it rose to its feet. The Face Taker grabbed its boney face, running its massive hands over it.

"I need a new face," it whispered.

The trucks of Wren's team came up, stopping along the edge of the ditch. The Face Taker looked up at them. The men poured out of their vehicles bearing heavier weapons than mere guns and swords this time. The Face Taker let out a hissing laugh.

Moon, Mask, and Jupiter lunged for it, but it leaped high over them towards the men. It landed at the top no more than five feet from a man with a flame thrower. He fired on the beast, bathing it the gas-powered flames. The Face Taker surged forward and grabbed him, tearing the muzzle of the weapon out of his grip. The other men fired on it or with machine guns, trying to stop it from killing the screaming man.

Then The Face Taker bounded off into darkness taking him with it as suddenly as it had advanced on them. A sickening crunch could be heard and the man's cries fell silent. The Warriors and their companions ran up the slope, joining the team. They looked around in all directions.

"Everybody stay together. We don't need people getting picked off in the dark," Wren said.

Suddenly, something rammed the trucks at the rear crashing them into ones at the front. Several that had been lined up along the top of the ditch were rolled over the edge. Everyone scrambled to get out of the way as their means of transportation were wrecked. Several Keepers got back into their vehicles and put them into gear, scattering them and trying to render The Face Taker unable to repeat what it'd just done.

The beast emerged from the darkness and grabbed a military Studebaker, lifting it over its head.

"Aw, this is gonna suck," Wren whimpered.

"Retreat!" he then shouted.

The Keepers divided their attention between scattering and firing it on trying to get it to drop the transporter, but the hurled it at the Warriors and their companions without fail. While everyone else dived out of the way, Moon, Jupiter, and Mars jumped straight up over the large flying object. Just as they reached the peak of their ascent, the Face Taker was suddenly right in front of them with a clothesline strike readied.

They let out of pained yelps as their thrown away by the powerful strike and sent crashing into the tree branches somewhere beyond in the woods. The Face Taker slid back down the slope of the ditch following after where it'd hurled them, once again disappearing in the darkness. Mask, Wren, Orion, and whatever Keepers were still with them followed after it.

* * *

Sailor V scanned the pages of a report she found near the black crystal, but she couldn't make any sense of it. It was written in some language she had never seen before. Sighing, she set it down, and looked around the lab again. She spotted another door opposite the one she had entered through. Only instead of fancy double bronze doors, this was a simple oak door with a plain ordinary knob. She approached it, and looked up at the ceiling and floor in front of it before getting too close. She touched the knob and quickly withdrew her hand again. There was no trap on it. Then she grabbed the knob again, wrapping her fingers around it. She sighed again, wearily.

"Well, here goes," she said.

She turned the knob. Nothing happened. She pushed the door open while keeping to the side. No arrows or knives or any of the usual deadly projectiles flew out at her. She poked her head into the room looking straight up. No traps waiting for her just inside, either. Well, she wasn't too surprised. Between the face-tearing beast and the enchanted net at the door, whoever owned this lab probably didn't anticipate many intruders.

Finally, she looked into the room and what she saw made her features twist with disgust. It was a personal study with a desk, bookshelves, papers, and the like. Also, there was another furnishing and a figure that was a sight she'd come to be all too disturbingly familiar with. The room was lit with from within with some kind of shimmering enchantment that cast an almost dream-like aura on the site.

Sailor V treaded lightly, but with purpose into the room. Her footfalls made no thud on the rug covered floor. Her stare was tense and she kept her compact out in front in case of attack. She didn't know what dark purpose the oddity in the room existed for, but nothing good occurred to her. For what good purpose could a figure that was little more than a corpse have for standing huddled over a podium writing away?

She slowly approached it, eyes fixed on its empty gaze that stared out at nothing. The terrible cadaver was propped in position there. Only its right hand which held a quill pen moved. It wrote on the pages before without halter. A glass ink jar was next to the pages it scribed letters onto. Sailor V came up next to it.

"Hello?" she asked.

It didn't respond.

"Poor thing. Did someone take you out of your grave and put you here against your will? You know, this isn't the first time I've seen this happen. I don't know who would do such a thing, or why, but I'll help lay you back to rest if you want."

Again, it didn't respond.

"Hs voice has been gone for years, you know? He can't exactly answer you," a light, measured voice said from behind.

Sailor V let out an 'eep' and whirled around. There, at the door, stood a short, cloaked figure with a hood pulled over its head. The sleeves of the long cloak came down over its hands and the bottom of the cloth dragged along the floor covering its feet. Sailor V felt the first pangs of panic over not noticing this person, or whatever it was, before. However she swallowed her courage and gave him, or it, a firm stare.

"However," the person, or creature, added. "Bob's hand still works, so he is still quite able to write what is on his mind all too well. If he chose to part his attention from his work to acknowledge you, I'm certain he would give you a very truthful answer."

Sailor V crossed her arms, giving the stranger a hard stare. She stepped away from the podium, facing the hooded figure, wary of this new threat and the moving corpse next to her.

"And just what would that answer be?"

Her eyes narrowed as she detected light growing from beyond the room just behind this other figure standing in the doorway. The hooded one continued with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"He'd tell you he himself is responsible for his current condition. He served the master so loyally in life he couldn't bear to stop even in death after his heart gave out on him. Let's see…that was over ten years ago. He cast this state of half-life on himself as a means to continue working for his master, helping to keep things in order around here. He's organizing all the progress of today's research as we speak."

The figure began to advance on Sailor V, the sound of claws clicking against the stone floor before it actually entered the study as it went.

"Stop right there!" Sailor V commanded, raising her compact. "Keep your distance! I heard that! You're a…a thing!"

The hooded figure chuckled.

"I guess these old claws gave me away."

It raised an arm, revealing long gnarly fingers and skinny, furry forearm and it drew back the hood revealing its face. Sailor V's lips turned up in a look of disgust. The thing before her was some kind of short rat man, about her own height.

"Ew! Gross!" she cried.

The rat man chuckled again at her reaction, shaking his head.

"I never get tired of that," he said.

"So who is this 'master'? It has to be Nephrite. He's the Shitennou that controls this region," Sailor V said.

The rat man nodded his head.

"You guessed it," he said. "This is the secret lab of Nephrite of the Western Lands. Congratulations on being the one to finally locate it. Now that you're here, though…well, I don't think I need to tell you."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're not letting me go without a fight," Sailor V replied impatiently.

"I'd expect nothing less from the famed Sailor V," the rat man responded calmly. Too calmly, for V's tastes. She knew he had something up his sleeve.

"One more question. Who are you?" she asked.

"Who am I, indeed…?" he said. "That is difficult to explain, and I have not the inclination to answer."

Sailor V's muscles tensed as she prepared to spring. Just as she did, the rodentine creature raised his hairy arms and gestured as though he were flinging something at her. Globes of light appeared all around them. She looked at them as they lazily floated about in the air, and charged the rat man again. They suddenly grew agitated and flew at her picking up speed. They zinged back and forth like fireflies on a summer evening. The flares then swooped down at her. She cried out in shock as they impacted on her, crackling and fizzing as they burned her. She covered her head in her hands as the bombardment of lashes continued. The girl gasped and winced as the myriad floated orbs stung her again and again, circling and attacking, sizzling against her shoulders, stomach, back, and legs.

"Aaughhhhh!" A scream tore from her as a more swooped in and stung directly on the thigh.

The attacks increased and her vision blurred. All she could see was the dancing darting light. All she could feel was the sharp burning as they continued to bounce of her. She sank onto her knees crying out. Her eyes watered from the pain, but the attack did not falter. She clenched her feet and gathered her feet under her, gripping her compact. She slowly raised her head with a determined light in her eyes.

"I wouldn't do something you'll regret, Sailor V," her adversary called.

"Shut up!" she roared back.

Another round of strikes.

"OW! That does it! I've had ENOUGH!"

Steeling herself against the pain, Sailor V stands call beneath the swarming bulbs of light. She took a deep breath and held her compact high in the air above. Impelled by her will, the compact glowed and its power reached out in all directions. It took hold of the darting wisps and in seconds, V's fury was rewarded. The small menaces were drained out and the leftover dust fell to the chamber floor, settling on the ground. The rat man was nowhere in sight

"Yeah, you better run away," Sailor V said.

* * *

The Face Taker scanned the woods for its prey. It could hear the Keepers closing in from both sides around it, but it wasn't too concerned. A fire arrow shot it dead in the back, making the creature wince. It turned in the direction it had come from and saw the girl poised on a tree limb high above it. The thing roared and jumped towards her, intending to just grind her bones into dust.

She was quick to jump down to the ground and take off running, The Face Taker close behind. Then it heard footsteps behind it. It looked over its shoulder to see the other two Warriors and that masked man with the sword closing in from behind. It didn't see the other archer, who was hidden somewhere above. It looked back ahead and stopped. The girl in red armor had disappeared. It turned to its pursuers. The masked boy was the first to reach. The Face Taker struck first, its fingers open and ready to tear into him, but then they passed harmlessly through the illusion.

The Face Taker was stunned from the surprise long enough for the real Phantom Mask to drop and slash it across the closed opening of the chest cavity deeply. The thing howled and clapped its heads together, intending to crush him, but Mask rolled back and out of the way. Moon and Jupiter jumped over him.

Jupiter's fists connected with both lips and lightning into it while Moon let the beast have it in the eye with the tip of her blade. Then they both jumped away as The Face Taker roared in fury and charged them. Then it heard words chanted in the air, but that didn't stop its warpath. The spell had been cast. The Face Taker looked around in confusion as it felt an unknown forcing pulling at it and making it stumble and trip around in place, but never letting it go. It began to trash and punch at the air wildly trying to break free, but whatever had it had it good. It held the creature in place, a fact that the Warriors and Mask caught onto quickly.

Face Taker let out an aggravated cry before putting its weight down, settling in place. It knew, and probably so did whoever was doing this, but they couldn't keep him held in place forever. The pounding footsteps of many Keepers could be heard coming nearer now. The Warriors and Mask tensed to spring and strike.

The Face Taker knew that it only a moment to act. It stood firmly in place, and then took a deliberate step in their direction as they began charging. It was determined not to be held down so it could crunch them into paste come Hell or high water. Orion, who had cast the holding spell, panted as it began walked to normal speed towards its opponent. He was unable to stop it now. Moon and Mask exchanged glances and nodded. They knew what to do.

Moon jumped into the air while Mask and Jupiter ran at the beast at ground level. Face Taker grabbed a big chunk of rock from the ground and threw it at its enemies on the ground. The momentary distraction was all Moon needed. She came down, jabbing one of the blades right in-between the lips of the cavity and then she wrenched it open. Mask threw his sword at it, landing a hit right inside the gap.

The Face Taker punched Moon away and its chest opening snapped shut, but the sword still protruded from it. Jupiter punched both fists forward and lightning shot from them. The power struck the sword hilt and coursed through to the innards of the beast. Its body shook uncontrollably as it electrocuted again. It was none too soon, as Orion was at his limit and the beast would have been completely free to move around a moment later.

The Keepers burst into view through the forest. From all around, they trained their arsenal onto their enemy. Mask raced forward, throw his weight onto the hilt, wrenching the chest cavity open again. The men shoved the end of their guns inside and opened fire. Paralyzing agony was all the brute felt as it collapsed onto its knees again. The human troops when drew their melee weapons and plunged those in as well and other began hacking at the beast's outer body as well. The monster growled through the pain and stood up outstretching its arm. It let out one mighty war cry. Its long burly arms came down and bashed several of the Keepers, either crushing them or sending them through the air.

Moon ran back on unsteady legs and surveyed the carnage. The Face Taker breathed in and out heavily and then it seemed to flex every muscle in its body. Several bony objects suddenly burst from its back. Everyone stepped back. The things looked like spinal columns, but they were positioned like scorpion stingers and even moved as such. It got on all fours and pounced. Its stingers impaled countless people in a matter of seconds, forcing them to flee.

"What the hell?!" Mars shrieked.

Jupiter slid backwards in her feet with her gauntleted hands held protectively in front. They'd just absorbed the brunt of a deadly strike.

"_Hell_ is right!" Jupiter replied.

Moon and Mask went over to them. Moon held up her double-bladed sword.

"Everyone altogether now!" she ordered.

Mask, Jupiter, and Mars all placed their hands on the hilt of the sword pouring their energy into it. They all held it up to throw as it glowed with a light never before seen. Lightning and fire covered its surface, but did not harm the bearers.

"Will this work?" Mars asked.

"No idea. Just pray it will," Moon answered.

The Face Taker stormed over to them with its hands and stingers raised.

"Now!" Moon shouted.

Acting as one, they threw the powered up weapon at it, and…

The beast caught it and tossed it aside. Then it lunged, its stingers smacking everyone out of the way, everyone save for Moon. It gripped her around the middle as it flew through the air coming to rest several yards away.

"Let me go! Let me…!" she shouted.

It slammed her against a tree, dazing her. There it pinned her as its stingers shot down and grabbed at her plated armor, cutting at the cords the held it on her body. Moon gasped as she felt the chest plate and segmented armor fall loose from her form, revealing a corset underneath. Then the things chest cavity opened up and the tentacles came out and started to grab her. She whimpered as she started to get pulled in to become its next face.

"NO!" familiar voices shouted.

Mars leapt onto its back looped her bow around its neck and pulled on it. The beast choked as it air supply was cut off. Mask and Jupiter jumped, striking it at its weak point. It dropped Moon and stumbled back as her friends fought to drive it off. Moon tried to stand, but amidst the struggle, The Face Taker hit her, slamming her against the tree again. Her armor vanished as she slid down the trunk to the ground, falling into unconsciousness.

Usagi looked up with foggy eyes. The whole world seemed to be a mess of moving shapes. She struggled to stay awake, but realm of sleep claimed her, and she knew nothing more.

**A/N: **Drew L. PMed me that he wrote up a TVTropes page for _Celestial Warrior Moon_: /Fanfic/CelestialWarriorMoon. Thank you, man. I really appreciate it.


	14. Chapter 13: Recovery

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: MWAHAHAHAHA! **

**SomeoftheFame: **I'm glad I was able to brighten up your day.

**ELinkA**: ;)

**LoveInTheBattleField**: As always, I will. :)

**This is getting old**: Thank you. I got this update out as soon as I could.

**Zhang**: Thanks again!

**Chapter 13**

**Recovery**

When Usagi opened her eyes, she was once again submerged in a deep, lustrous fog. She could see the tiny crystal-like particles swirling around her. They reflected the light making it impossible to get a good look at anything. She rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was someplace else away from the shining mist.

She was now in an immaculate bedroom in a king-sized bed. She sat up, taking in the enormous space. It had to be the size of her house, but all one room, and apparently…all hers'. The interior was all pure white and made of some kind of marble or pearl. There were rows and rows of wardrobes, dressers, and a huge full person mirror, and more. She threw the covers off, revealing a long, white nightgown. She walked over to the balcony. It was night out. She could see the stars overhead and…a planet? She stepped onto the balcony, itself, and stared at blue and green orb. She looked up at the building she was in and found she was in a pearly white palace like the Taj Mahal.

"Where am I?"

Then she looked out into the surrounding city. It shined like crystals in the dark making the city almost brighter than Tokyo. The skyscrapers looked almost like carved gems going straight up into the sky. Rolling green surrounded the city in the distance. It was like a place out of a dream.

She looked up at the stars again, and on closer inspection, saw that the entire place had a canopy much like a bubble around it. It was transparent and the material looked just like a bubble, so she could just barely see it and wouldn't have if not for the dim reflections of the lights below on it.

There was now a whistling sound on the air like an incoming bomb. She leaned out to see what it was. Then with an earth-shaking explosion, she was knocked down. The entire palace shook and every cracked and chunked of debris fell from the roof. The balcony she was on began and she struggled to get to her feet to run back into the castle!

When she awoke, she found herself staring up at another unfamiliar ceiling, though a lot more mundane this time. A quick observation of her surrounding through the corner of her eyes yielded that she was in a medical ward somewhere, surrounding on either and at the foot of the bed by curtains.

"Oh man, not another weird dream," she groaned.

"Usagi? Usagi!" she heard a voice call out, sounding relieved.

Makoto and Rei burst through the curtains and stood over her, smiling broadly down at her. They were breathing deeply and looked so relieved as to be almost on the verge of tears. They both also had cuts and scratches that'd been tended to.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Rei asked, greatly concerned.

"I'm fine…where are we?"

"Keeper HQ Medical Ward," Makoto answered. "That was a nasty bump on the head you got back there. We rushed you in as soon as we could!"

Then Usagi remembered! Images of The Face Taker flashed through her mind. Her eyes widened and she threw off the covers. She was in her normal civilian garb, unhurt. She looked back up at her comrades. She looked over at the table. Her hilt had been set on it.

"What-what happened after I passed out? Did we win?"

Makoto and Rei's faces went grim and sad. Makoto shook her head.

"I don't we ever stood a chance," Rei said, and bit her lip fretfully.

"We…had to make a full retreat. There was no stopping or containing that thing," Makoto added somberly. "A lot of people died."

Usagi sat up with a start.

"Who?! Who died?!" she demanded.

Makoto and Rei exchanged sorrowful looks before turning back to her.

"Many. We couldn't name half of them, but Wren, Orion, Sailor V, and Mask got out alive," Makoto explained. "I don't think even a quarter of Wren's team got out of there."

Usagi clapped a hand over her mouth. There had been so many, and for a tiny fraction of that to have survived… She lied back down trying to process just how many casualties that was.

Wait, Sailor V?

Usagi sat back up, leaning on her elbows.

"What did Sailor V find down there?" Usagi asked.

"The Face Taker _was _guarding something. It was the laboratory of Nephrite, one of Beryl's generals. She tried to get some paperwork out so the Keepers could have it analyzed, but The Face Taker quickly turned that into a pipe dream," Makoto said, sighing.

"It was on her the instant she came out of the silo," Rei said with a quiver. "She ended up having to abandon the Intel. It was all we could to keep that thing from ripping her apart. It _really_ hated that we pulled a fast one on it."

"Geez. Today just isn't our day… How's Sailor V now?" Usagi asked.

"Shaken, but alive," Rei answered.

"Hey, did you guys really lose all the papers? Didn't _anyone _grab it after she dropped it?" Usagi asked.

"We would've, but…" Makoto stammered. "Face Taker tore it all up before we could stop him."

"Oh, man. All that work for nothing. …Hey, how long have I been out?" Usagi asked.

"A few hours. Don't worry. You'll make it home in plenty of time not to worry your parents," Makoto answered.

"Like I was even thinking about that?" Usagi thought grimly.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She wobbled on her feet, feeling dizzy, but Makoto held her gently.

"Hey, maybe you should lie down a while longer," the tomboy suggested. "We've all had it rough today."

"Ye-yeah, maybe you're right," Usagi answered, still feeling frazzled.

* * *

The High Keepers all sat together in a meeting room at a long table with Myddin sitting at the end. On his left were Kratos, Rusila, Luna, and Artemis, and on his right were Pious, Wren, and Jocelyn.

"Well, I would hardly call that our must sterling success," Kratos muttered.

"Don't start," Wren groaned. "You know what we were up against."

"Calm down, Wren. We need to focus on what's important right now," Kratos spoke plainly.

"No one's accusing you," Rusila added. "Don't take offense."

"Well, at least now we know where Nephrite's lab in located," Pious said.

"Feh! Not That it does us any good if we can't even get in, let alone get any Intel out of it," Wren muttered.

"No bickering," Luna said with authority. "It'd be pointless. It was too early to send the girls in to face such a monster. We know that now, and unfortunately, so does the Dark Kingdom. They'll know _exactly _what to hit the girls with to take them down."

"So what do we do about it? We've been training them the best we can. You can't expect anymore from three teenagers that haven't even been doing this a full month now. It's not like they've had a year's practical experience like Mina," Artemis spoke.

"Then they need something to get them up to speed quickly," Kratos said.

"Perhaps it's time we seriously consider fully awakening Mina as a Warrior. She has the most experience," Pious suggested.

"No. We still need her to shut down The Dark Agency," Luna countered.

"We could locate and awaken Mercury," Rusila said.

"We should try more than one thing at once," Luna announced.

She turned to Kratos.

"For now, we will follow Kratos's advice and step up the training to properly prepare them, _and_ I will commence with finding and awakening Celestial Warrior Mercury at once," she said.

"In the meantime, its high time Sailor V stepped up putting the squeeze on The Dark Agency," Artemis said.

"Tread carefully," Jocelyn said. "You don't want to completely rob these girls of their social lives. Now that the situation is tense, it will be especially important that they be allowed time to themselves for the good of their mental and emotional welfare."

"I've considered that, but thank you," Luna said.

Myddin then spoke for the first time since the meeting began.

"So Orion still lives," he said.

The entire room went quiet. Pious was the first to break the silence.

"That deserter! We should hunt him down and have him tried for abandoning us like he did," Pious growled angrily.

"Perhaps," Myddin shrugged. "But we do not yet know what his purpose is."

"His purpose?! His purpose!" Pious yelled. "What justifiable reason could he have had to let us think that he'd fallen victim to The Black King on that last mission? When and how did he escape from that quarry? And what happened to the item he was supposed to retrieve? Did he manage to retrieve The Heel?"

"All good questions," Kratos said.

The big man looked over Rusila.

"Rusila, you were with him that day," Kratos said.

"It was dark down there, but I thought I was certain of what I saw. The Black King and Orion both disappeared while I engaged his minion, that horned creature," Rusila said.

"In all likelihood, that's exactly what happened. Mr. Tall, Thin, and Faceless might have decided that Orion would be a perfect playmate for one of his flunkies in The Land of Black Leaves. You know ol' Orion. He was always a slippery one. They probably couldn't keep him trapped and he somehow made his way back to his dimension. That still doesn't explain why Orion went along with playing dead if he escaped," Artemis said.

Rusila leaned her head forward to think for a moment.

"This still places everything I though I remembered about that day into question, since The Black King is known for creating false memories. Well, everything except maybe for my escape with that girl. Thage, I think her name was," Rusila muttered, sounding very troubled as opposed to her usual restrained manner.

"He arrived with Phantom Mask. That's all I know," Wren stated.

"Hmm," Myddin hummed.

"You think of something, Myddin?" Pious asked.

"Perhaps, but perhaps not. Regardless, Orion did come to our aid, and I would think that if he had betrayed us that our enemies would have laid siege to us in our base long ago. So he has not become our enemy. Therefore finding him to get answers concerning his whereabouts and actions will not be a priority right now," Myddin said.

"We're just supposed to tolerate his insubordination?" Pious asked, disbelievingly.

"At the moment," Myddin nodded. "I do fully intend to make him account for his decision not to return to us, someday. With the clock fast ticking down to the final hour of our dispute with The Dark Kingdom, it can wait. I also believe there is a matter of the effect last night's events had on Barrington."

He picked up a remote control on the table next to him and clicked a button. A panel in the ceiling came down, revealing a TV set, opposite to Myddin and where everyone in the meeting room could see it. It flicked on. A female news reporter appeared on the screen. Behind her, they could see she was across the street from the silo.

"Hello, this is Paula Angel, with Prairie News, reporting live at the scene of a series of strange incidents that occurred in our fare city Barrington this past week. Starting with disappeared teenagers, now things have escalated. Last night, police received several calls reporting disturbances in the area describing the sounds of gunfire, the howls of wild animals, and loud crashing in ShoeFactory Road Woods. And this morning inquisitive hikers were greeted with a police barricade all around ShoeFactory Road Woods. At the present, the police are not issuing a statement concerning what happened and have made a firm decision to keep the press out at the moment. Back to you, Chad."

Myddin switched of the TV. It rose back into the ceiling.

"Another PR nightmare," Wren said.

"Your turn," Pious and Rusila said back to him.

Myddin looked over at Wren.

"You're certain The Face Taker returned to the silo after all was said and done?"

"Yes, we were able to confirm that it went back to Nephrite's Lab after it finally stopped chasing us. I can even bring in the footage," Wren replied.

"That town is going to be in an uproar over this," Artemis said. "It'll be tough keeping this one under wraps."

"Indeed. Wren, you deal with the situation in Barrington. Artemis and Luna, you attend to the girls. Kratos, you ready whatever you have in mind to train them. Pious and I will be getting an update on the situation on the energy drain victims. Meeting is adjourned."

While The Keepers got up to leave, Jocelyn approached Luna.

"Excuse me, Luna, but I believe I have a suggestion…" she said.

* * *

"…further details on the case after we return," the news anchor on the TV said.

Nephrite switched off the television and leaned against the nearby table.

"You might want to consider just moving everything to another site," Jadeite suggested.

Nephrite looked back at his fellow Shitennou that was seated behind the table.

"That won't be necessary," Nephrite replied confidently.

"What? Your base of operations has just been exposed," Jadeite said incredulously.

"Yes, and a fat lot of good that did the ones responsible," Nephrite chuckled.

Nephrite set the remote down on the TV.

"There's nothing to worry about. They recovered nothing that can be of any use to them, and between tightened security and my little pet, they never will," Nephrite assured the younger man.

Nephrite looked to Bob as the animated cadaver still stood in his spot writing things down.

"Isn't that right, Bob?" Nephrite asked.

The corpse looked up and nodded its head slightly before returning its attention to the sheets of paper before it. The door to Nephrite' study opened.

"Chief Scientist Lessart, reporting, sir. It's about the black crystal," the rat man bowed.

"Ah, Lessart. So how is my little masterpiece doing?" Nephrite said.

"It's nearly ready, sir, it just needs a few more touches."

"Good. Good. Jadeite, if you'll follow me," Nephrite said, motioning.

Jadeite stood and followed Nephrite out into the main lab area towards where the crystal was housed. Lessart stepped up to the keyboard in front of it. Another of the scientists rolled over another computer with a screen displaying the crystal's progress. It read 88.7%, as well as showing various other readings such as its current sensory range and the like.

"Sailor V will have told them of the computer systems you have down here. Aren't you afraid of being hacked?" Jadeite asked.

"They run on a private, isolated server, my friend," Nephrite responded.

"If I might have your attention, to begin: we just need a little more time," Lessart explained. "As you can see, the frequency is still off slightly. With a little fine tuning, you will be able to seek out the Seven Great Youma before too much longer."

"Let me see that," Nephrite said.

Lessart stepped and his employer took his spot. Nephrite quickly crunched the numbers and the waves representing the frequency went and turned green.

"A-amazing," Lessart uttered.

The rat read the percentage.

"97.6% complete."

"Now you just need to adjust the power levels until you find the correct balance," Nephrite said.

"We can have it ready in weeks," Lessart announced.

"Excellent. I will have my assistant, Aqua, conduct the search," Jadeite said.

"Alright. Then I have to report to our Queen. I'll return shortly," Nephrite said.

"Oh yes, she'll be glad to know that the black crystal is almost ready," Jadeite said.

"Heh. Indeed," Nephrite responded with a hint of slyness.

Jadeite and Lessart's thought the tone was off, but chocked it up to Nephrite being Nephrite.

"Well, then, I also have some things to prepare," Jadeite replied.

Nephrite looked at him with a raised brow, not quite sure what he was talking about. Then it hit him.

"Ah, _right_, that masquerade ball at Buckingham Palace. The one they're holding to showcase that crystal some archeologist just found. When was that again?"

"Bingo. It'll be on May 18th. It just might be our silver crystal," Jadeite said.

"Have fun, and don't forget about our next target," Nephrite replied and teleported away.

* * *

"Oh, what a day, what a day, what a day," Motoki said sound worn-out voice.

He entered the apartment he and Mamoru shared and hung up his jacket.

"Hey, Mamo, you home yet?" he called.

"Yeah, I'm here," Mamoru voice came from his room.

"Great! Hey, about we…" Motoki began to say.

"Ow! Damn it!" he heard Mamoru swear.

He paused and then went over to Mamoru's room. He knocked on the door.

"Hey, you okay in there, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…stubbed my toe is all."

"Well, alright, as I was saying, you wanna go to that pizza place tonight? They've serving your favorite, that special on that taco pizza."

"Uh, not tonight. I think I'm just going to veg out in front of the TV."

Now that didn't sound like Mamoru at all. Motoki knocked on the door again.

"Hey, is it alright if I come in?"

"N-no. Not right now, I'm getting dres-AH!"

Motoki decided he'd had enough of his friend's yelps in pain, turned the knob, and opened the door. He stopped, stunned at what he saw. Mamoru sat on his bed, stripped to the waist with his back to the door. His entire back was covered in nasty cuts and bruises. He was busy applying medical aid to himself. Mamoru turned to looked.

"Uh, I can explain…" Mamoru stammered.

"My God, man. What the hell happened?!" Motoki cried.

Mamoru gave Motoki an annoyed glance before he answered.

"Nothing. Things just got a little rough down at the gym," Mamoru replied, trying to sound casual.

"Nothing! Nothing! Seriously, man, what happened?! It looks like you were mauled or something! Do you need a doctor? Who did this?"

Mamoru stood.

"I told you, things just got a little out of hand while sparring. I'm fine, Motoki. This is nothing I can't handle," he insisted.

"Are you crazy? Just look at yourself! This isn't a sparring accident! Someone pounded you all over in a fight!"

Mamoru just turned away and sat down again.

"Oh, _no_, you don't!" Motoki said.

He grabbed a discarded shirt and threw it up Mamoru.

"Put that on. Who knows what kind of damage a beating like that did to you? A doctor _is_ going to have a look at you, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer," Motoki commanded.

* * *

The door into the medical ward opened. Rei looked up from her book at the room's new occupants. It was Luna. Luna gave them a once over. Rei was seated in a chair against the wall near the bed, Makoto had moved her chair right up besides it, and Usagi currently said in it leaning against the bedpost.

"Hey, girls," Luna greeted gingerly.

"Hi, Luna," Makoto replied.

"How are you all?" Luna asked.

"We're fine, but Usagi's still a little out of it," Rei stated.

"I was just a little dizzy," Usagi explained. "I'm probably fine now."

"Good," Luna said.

She grabbed a chair and set it done with its back facing the girls. She sat in it backwards, resting her arms on the top of the backrest.

"Listen, I'm sorry for sending on this mission. It was…too early, much too early for you to do battle against something like The Fact Taker. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm just glad you all came back alive," she said remorsefully.

"No. We're the ones that screwed it up," Usagi insisted.

"Just how do you defeat something that self-repairs immediately?" Rei asked.

"I don't know, but then again, you are just beginning to master your skills," Luna answered.

"Then we need to master them faster," Makoto said assertively. "I don't like to lose, especially not against monsters."

"I know the feeling," Luna muttered.

She rested her head on her arms.

"Tell you what. Take a few days off, and next Sunday, how about 'Megumi' takes the girls to Dreamland?" Luna offered.

"That amusement park?" Makoto asked.

"Uh-huh, how about it? It'll give you a chance to loosen up and have some fun," Luna said.

"Dreamland! That's like the best amusement park in the city!" Usagi cried, becoming sparkly eyed.

"Looks like someone's sold on the idea," Makoto giggled.

"Sure, why not?" Rei shrugged.

"Well, then it's settled, then. I'll pick you girls up at 11 'Clock," Luna said.

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap_. Minako didn't even acknowledge the sound at her window. She lied curled clutching her pillow to her tightly. Today hadn't been like other missions. Sure, she risked life and limp every time she went out as Sailor V, but never like this before. She had been utterly helpless before that creature at the silo. She curled up tighter around the soft lump in her arms.

_TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! _She looked up sullenly at the window. She waved for the figure to go away and pulled the covers of her head. Outside, Artemis looked sadly in at the girl, and reluctantly hopped onto the branch of the nearby tree, climbing down.

"Guess this whole thing's been rough on us all," he thought.

**A/N: **Sorry this one is so short, but this was the perfect place to leave off.


	15. Chapter 14: Week of Reprieve

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Holy moly….23 Followers. That probably doesn't seem like much, but it sure seems like a lot to me. Thank you, guys.

**Chapter 14**

**Week of Reprieve**

"Hey, mom, how about the Haunted House!" a boy pointed over at the nearby attraction.

"Oh, I don't know? Those can be pretty frightening, Desuke," his mother said doubtfully.

She looked down at her 9 year old son.

"Aw, please," Desuke begged. "It'd be _so _cool!"

"Why don't you go on the Merry-Go-Round, instead? It's nowhere near as scary," his mother suggested.

"Aw, the Merry-Go-Round? That's dull. I wanna go in the haunted house," he said insistently.

His mother clicked her tongue looking at the creepy artwork on the side of the building, aptly titled _The Nightmare House _as a counterpoint to the park theme, dreams. The sounds of ghostlike 'boos' and evil laughter came from within, and she could hear children screaming inside. She looked back down at her son.

"You won't get too scared?" she asked.

"Oh, come one… Dad and I have already watched _The Thing_ together*. A bunch of guys in corny costumes are nothing!" Desuke said, rolling his eyes.

"Humph! I still don't approve of his decision, but alright. Let's go, then," she said, though she sounded less than enthused.

They got in and line waited. The line was long, so it took quite a while for them to get to the ticket booth in front. The park employee took two tickets from them and let them in. The mother and son stepped through the hanging black drapes into pitch black.

All around them they could recordings of spooky voices and other noises. The path was lined on either side with exit signs.

"Keep hold of my hand," she instructed, getting a firm grip.

Holding Desuke's hand, they started their way through the haunted structure. Suddenly, a light flicked on overhead and a man in green monster costume jumped out at them. He roared as convincingly as he could. The mother screamed while Desuke giggled at the fright. Then the light went out and the man vanished back into the depths from whence he came.

They continued walking and came to a dimly lit room with some other park goers ahead of them. The entire room looked like the inside of a stone crypt with open stone sarcophagus's lined up four-eight with the path leading right through them. Mummies lied in their tombs.

"Cool!" Desuke exclaimed, grinning widely.

It was his mother's turn to roll her eyes as they walked between the rows of wrapped up figured. Expectedly, several suddenly shot up moaning terribly. Desuke's mother let out a small scream before laughing it off, having known what to expect this time. Desuke also laughed at this.

Next on the agenda was a man being executed on the electric chair, a graveyard with zombies, and, much more. Mother and son dashed out of the exit on the other side after being grabbed from behind by some employees.

"Ha! You were so scared! You screamed like the girls in my class," Desuke teased his mother.

"And you were giggling like a hyena the whole time. Well, I think that's enough scares for one day! Oh look, there are some bumper cars. Let's go over there," his mother said breathlessly.

"Okay."

She reached to take his hand and when held up his own to grip hers', she noticed something.

"Desuke, how did you get that bruise?" she asked.

Desuke looked at his right hand. On the back was dark patch of skin starting near his thumb and going out in two streaks both ending just ending just below the pinky.

"I…I don't know. I don't think I hit my hand in there," he said.

His mother looked it over.

"Well, it was dark in there and in all the excitement you might not have noticed banging your hand. It's fine, not even a cut."

* * *

Monday, April 27th

As promised, the girls had a few days off. Luna stated that training would begin again on Thursday, so the girls enjoyed being able to be normal kids for a few days.

"He knocked you out cold?! Usagi, are you sure you're okay?!" Naru cried worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just some bumps and bruises. I'm sore as hell, but I'll be fine in a few days," Usagi answered.

She said down on the bleacher in a laid back manner. Naru took a seat next to her. Naru's eyes slowly scanned her friend, and it was making Usagi uncomfortable.

"I'm _fine_. Stop that, will ya?" Usagi said uneasily.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. You really worry me sometimes," Naru said solemnly.

"Naru…"

Naru cut her off. She turned to Usagi, almost in tears.

"I mean it!" she said with a cracking voice.

She struggled to keep control of her emotions and voice.

"Ever since that _thing_ almost killed us and this whole business with the Keepers started up, you've been looking your own possible death in the face every time you gear up. I'm afraid that one of these days you'll leave and won't come back! How do you manage to handle it and stay so cheerful?"

"Handle it? I can barely sleep," Usagi replied miserably.

"Huh, but you always act like you're fine," Naru said confused.

"Yeah, but…this is going to sound cheesy, but it's because my friends make the world a brighter place when I'm not fighting freaks," Usagi said.

"Oh, Usagi…"

"Also, I kinda have to hold it together. I mean, if we can't do this thing…then who is?" Usagi explained.

She smiled melancholically.

"As long as you're my friend, Naru, and I know you'll be there to give me a shoulder to cry on if I need one, I'll be fine," she said.

Naru leaned in close and hugged her friend tightly.

"Oh, Usagi, you dummy! You don't need to tell me that you need my shoulder. It's free and I'm here, and always will be!"

Usagi returned the embrace.

"Besides, Luna promised she'd make it up to us. She's taking us to Dreamland this weekend!" Usagi added giddily.

"Dreamland?! Ooh, can I come, too?" Naru asked eagerly.

"Sure, why not. Just don't forget to play dumb about us. Remember, it's _Luna_ that's taking us," Usagi reminded her.

"No problem," Naru replied.

"For that matter, maybe we should invite Ami," Usagi said thoughtfully. "With all the Warrior buzz, we haven't really had time for her lately."

"Sounds good," Naru said.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Usagi said, feeling bad.

She turned to Naru with a concerned stare of her own.

"So, you and your mom are back at home now. Are you two okay living in that house after…after _that_?"

"We're fine. Everything's been fixed up and it's almost like it never happened," Naru said trying to sound cheerful.

Usagi still didn't seem happy with that answer.

"We're fine, really," Naru stressed the point.

"Okay. I don't understand why you'd ever go back to that house, though."

"I'm going to buckle under fear. If those monsters think they can push mother and me out of our own house, they have another thing coming!" Naru said resolutely.

Usagi smiled.

"You're strong," she said sincerely.

"If you can be strong enough to stare these monsters right in the face, then I can be a little strong," Naru said.

* * *

Wednesday, April 29th

"We have a ten percent chance of rain today," the weather man had said.

The rain poured down heavily as a lone figure ran through the streets covering her head with her purse, trying to keep from getting too wet. It was a futile gesture against the storm.

"What?!" Makoto grumbled irately to herself.

"Damn! You can never believe a weather forecast. You call this ten perfect?! Honestly…" she said.

Through the winds, rain, and the fact that her bag was partially obscuring her vision, she didn't see the figure coming the other way on the sidewalk. She rammed right into them and bounced off onto the wet concrete. She sat on her knees in a daze for a second as the falling droplets run over her hair and face.

"Ow! Hey, watch where you're going!" the man said gruffly.

Makoto made a face and shouted back.

"Me?! What were you doing in the middle of the sidewalk?!" she demanded.

"Walking. Duh."

"Don't 'duh' me! Are you even going to apologize?!" she countered.

"Why? You were the one not looking where you were going? I'm _so_sorry you don't better eye sight!"

"Why you…" she growled.

She looked up at the cause of her present soaked state and paused.

"M-Mamoru?" she sputtered.

"Yeah, what's it do you?" he asked sharply.

He stopped rubbing his sore side and held out a hand for her to take. He held his umbrella forward shielding her from the rain.

"Come on. Grab your bag and get under here. You'll catch your death just sitting there in the rain," he said.

Now under the protective wire and cloth with him, she wiped some water off her face.

"So, are you alright?" he asked in a direct way.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said quietly.

She looked at the back of her skirt to make sure it wasn't caked in mud.

Mamoru scratched the back of his back awkwardly and sighed.

"Alright, maybe I was a little lost in thought, too," he admitted.

His eyes met hers'.

"So where to?," he asked.

"Eh?"

"Where to?" he repeated. "You don't have an umbrella, right?"

"He's offering to take home? …Under his umbrella?" her mind raced.

Mamoru cocked his eyebrows watching her face go to a deep shape of red as she realized the implications of his offer.

"Oh, geez," he thought.

"Hey, Mako!" he said loudly to snap her out of it.

She blinked as she came back to her senses.

"Well, where to?" he said without a hint of patience.

"H-Home."

"After you," he said.

They two walked together in silence, listening to the rain fall on the protective canopy directly over their heads. Mamoru let out a quick breath, and decided he might as well say something.

"So…" he said. "Hey, we kind of got off on the wrong foot. No hard feelings."

"None."

"Cool. …So…"

He tried to think up another topic.

"…I heard Dumpling Head mention to Motoki that you're a good cook."

"I guess," she answered.

"Cool," he said.

After another minute went by, he spoke again.

"Motoki's not so bad, himself. Maybe you two Wonder Chefs can compare notes sometime."

"Heh. I just might," she said.

She looked at him, taking notice of his handsome features again.

"Maybe you'd like to sample some of my cooking sometime," she suggested.

"Sure," he shrugged.

"Okay. Uh, where do you live? I could just drop it off at your apartment sometime," she said.

"Sure."

"Great. Now just a minute," she said.

She reached into her bag and pulled her notebook and a pen. She held it out to him.

"Here, just write down your address and favorite dish!"

"…Okay," he said reluctantly.

She held the umbrella as he wrote down the information. When he finished, he handed it back to her and took the umbrella again.

"You're a strange one," he grinned.

"Better strange than boring," Makoto chirped.

They both laughed. She looked at the paper.

"Rice with hashed beef! That's an easy one."

"Say, if you're coming over anyway, you might as just make use of our kitchen rather than lug it halfway town. Motoki won't mind," Mamoru said.

"Wait, what am I saying? I'll have to clean up Motoki's mess before he gets there!" his mind screamed at him.

"Okay!" she said cheerfully.

Mamoru took notice of their surroundings, coming out of his thoughts.

"Huh. The rain seems to be stopping," he said.

He lowered the umbrella.

"Well, that makes things easier," he said. "Anyway, I have to stop by the college on my way home. See you later, Makoto."

"Seeya! I'm heading home! How about I stop by this Friday at Five?" she called after him.

"This Friday?" Mamoru asked.

He turned to tell her that wasn't a good idea, but the excited girl had already run off.

"Oh man, looks like I'm staying home Saturday," he muttered.

"So you're into younger girls?"

Mamoru looked over his shoulder at the new arrival.

"Hello, Reika," he greeted glumly.

"That certainly explains why you never went for any of the classmates we introduced you to," Reika said teasingly.

"Ugh. Don't start," Mamoru replied miserably.

Reika chuckled at the unhappy teen.

"Just joking," she said.

Mamoru glanced at her lab coat.

"I take it tonight's date with Motoki's cancelled?"

Reika sighed sadly.

"Unfortunately. I just got done telling Motoki. He just left to go home. You must have just missed him," she said.

"And he was so supportive that it made you feel worse," Mamoru said understandingly.

Reika's eyes went downcast.

Mamoru snorted.

"Typical," Mamoru said and started towards the campus.

Mamoru stopped and turned to her again.

"So how are things going with you two?" he asked.

"Oh, fine," she replied tentatively.

"You still haven't decided whether to go or stay," Mamoru stated, reading her.

Reika didn't respond at first. She looked at her watched and then back at Mamoru. She smiled very convincingly.

"Hey, if you have the time, try to have tea with him for me, will you? Tell Motoki I'll call him later," she said.

She rushed off back towards the labs.

"Geez, man, just tell her how you feel about the whole thing and drop this whole 'I'm happy with whatever you want to do' act, already. You guys are a couple and should have talked this out by now," Mamoru thought, frustrated at his friend.

* * *

"Yo, Motoki," Mamoru called, entering their apartment.

"Yeah," Motoki called from the kitchen.

"I just talked to Reika. She says she'll call you sometime later today," Mamoru answered and walked towards the source of his friend's voice.

"Okay. Thank you. Hey, how you're side?"

"Good."

When Mamoru entered the kitchen, Motoki was hunched over the oven tasting some soup he was preparing. Mamoru leaned against the counter and watched him.

"I guess tea's out of the question," he said.

"Huh?" Motoki said.

He looked back at his roommate. A moment later, both boys were seated facing opposite each other at the coffee table each holding a soda.

"So what's wrong? Got a problem?" Mamoru asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Motoki shrugged.

"Well, it looks like Reika's still distressing over deciding whether to go to Africa for her studies or staying here," Mamoru said. "Dude, have you still not told her?"

Motoki sat in thought for a long moment before answering.

"I can't," he said finally in a solemn tone.

"Why not?" Mamoru asked.

"Well, this is a big chance for her. It's not like many get to study how human life began while still under 20. She's worked hard to impress her professors enough to get a shot like this," Motoki said.

"Yeah, I know. She's an amazing woman. _Amazing enough to hold onto_," Mamoru said, hoping that Motoki would take the hint.

"I told you. It's not like I can just ask her to give up the chance of a lifetime. I don't want to restrict her future," Motoki said.

Mamoru crossed his arms and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, that's just like you," Mamoru said frowning.

Then Mamoru remembered.

"Oh, yeah, I hope you like rice with hashed beef."

"Huh? Uh, sure," Motoki replied, not sure what brought this turn in the conversation on.

"Oh, one of Usagi's friends, Makoto's coming over to cook on Saturday. Interested?"

"Mako? You gotta be joking. You _do_ know she's still in middle school, right?"

"Hey, whoa! It's not like that, I swear! Juuuuust think of it like a kid sister or something."

"Good."

"Dodged that bullet," Mamoru thought relieved.

"If I did have little sisters, they'd probably be like those girls," Motoki chuckled.

"Kid sisters, huh?"

"Boy, is Motoki really this dense? He _has_ to see that Dumpling Head has it bad for him," Mamoru added mentally.

* * *

Soon, it was nightfall and due to the rainfall, it was a misty wet night, indeed. The afternoon sun had dried up much of the streets, but there was still an overall damp feel that prevailed well into the night. So one might assume that the man sleeping on the steps of Hikawa Shrine was out of his mind for doing so on an evening like that. Or for doing so on any night, really.

With his duffle bag under his head as a pillow, and clothed in his wrinkled business suit, the long-haired man snored peacefully where he was.

Rei yawned as she headed home from the school. She held her shoulder working out the soreness.

"That was a good session at the archery range," Rei said. "I haven't worked my arms with a string and arrows that aren't made out of fire for a while. I'm probably still going to be feeling this one tomorrow. Eh, nothing a good, long hot bath won't fix."

She turned off the sidewalk onto the steps leading up to the shrine and stopped, staring at the unusual decoration that adorned the ancient stones presently. She crossed her arms and stared disapprovingly down at the sleeping form. She walked up alongside the snoring man and jabbed him in the side with her foot.

"Hey, you! Get off our steps! We don't need bums loitering around our shrine! There's a relief center just down the street! Go there!"

"Ow! Hey, that hurt, you know?" he complained.

"Pain just lets you know you're still alive. Now go on! Scat!"

"What a noisy girl," the man muttered.

He looked up to get a look at her. His shaggy bangs which needed a serious trim fell over his dark blue eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked while he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

As soon as he saw her, his eyes lit up. Rei took a step back as his cheeks heated up. He shot up to full stiffly. Then promptly fell onto his hands and knees.

"My…my name is Yuuichiro Kumada, but everyone calls me Chad!" he shouted elatedly.

Then he bowed low to the ground on the step before the black-haired beauty that had awakened him from his slumber.

"Please, make me your apprentice!" he begged.

"What?" Rei said, surprised by this unexpected development.

* * *

"And your grandpa actually said _yes_?!" Usagi gasped.

She and Rei were standing around chatting near the formers' school on the sidewalk.

"Yeah…" Rei responded drearily.

"Uh, why?"

"Well, even though he was actually an evil hellspawn, "Siggie" _was_ a big help with the chores and Grandpa's been looking for a new apprentice, anyway. Apparently, even some guy I just found sleeping on our doorstep will do," Rei explained with a weary tone.

"Well, I guess he can't be any _worse _than 'Siggie'," Usagi said, trying to lighten the mood.

She forced a laugh, but Rei's gloomy expression promptly made her stop.

"Oh, Usagi!" Naru called.

They glanced over and saw Naru and Ami approaching them.

"Oh, who's this?" Ami asked, spotting Rei.

"Hi there, I'm Rei. Rei Hino."

"I'm Ami Mizuno. That uniform… Are you a student at T-A Academy for Girls?" Ami asked.

"Yeah! How did you know?" Rei asked, impressed.

"My mother considered having me go there once," Ami answered.

"You two haven't met, but this is the clairvoyant over at Hikawa Shrine," Naru added.

"Oh really?" Ami responded looking at Rei curiously.

"Yep. We've been hanging out since the day we went over to the shrine. I'm glad you two finally get to meet," Usagi explained.

* * *

Desuke sat in the backyard of his family's house collecting leaving and taping them into a folder he had for a class project. He gave the back of his hand a glance, noting that the mark on it hadn't yet began to heal at all, a fact that was beginning to worry his parents.

He opened the small booklet on identifying leaves and uncapped his pen to write down what kind he'd just gotten. He didn't pay any attention to the woods behind him, but something rustled in the trees at the edge just beyond the backyard.

Plop! Desuke paused and looked behind him. A shiny red ball rolled over to him from the trees. He picked it up and stood. He stared into the tree line trying to make out any figures out that could be in there.

"Hello?" he called, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, that's my ball. Could you return it me, please?" a voice answered from the trees.

Desuke looked down at the ball and then back at the trees.

"Sure," he said.

He slowly walked towards the trees, and once he was close enough, gave the ball a little toss. It landed near the base of a tree and he started to back away. Then it emerged. The boy gasped and was about to scream, but something stopped him. Back and forth, back and forth, it swung. Something about the swinging pendulum enthralled him. He stared at the motions standing perfectly still. Then the intruder spoke:

"_Come little child, come to me. Safe and happy, you will be._

"_Oh, little child, please don't scream or cry,_

_I wouldn't hurt a fly._

_Be free, be free be free to play,_

_Come with me to stay."_

It held out its hand for the boy. Desuke listlessly held out his own hand and started towards it. It continued:

"_Oh, little child, please don't squirm,_

_My spell, I know, will hold you firm._

_I tell you this is true,_

_And believe me, I wouldn't lie to you._

_Oh, little child, you now take your leave,_

_Your family for you will grieve._

_Their minds unraveling at the seams,_

_Your memory haunting their dreams._

_But surely, you must know,_

_That it is time for you to go._

_Little child, you were not clever,_

_Now you'll stay with me forever."_

All was still in that now empty backyard.

Desuke's mother opened the back window over the sink and peered out a short while later.

"Desuke! Time for dinner! …Desuke!"

She looked around the empty yard.

"Oh, where is that boy?" she muttered.

She stepped back and closed the window, and headed into the backyard.

"Desuke! I told you not to go into the woods! Come back here this minute! I know you can hear me! Desuke!"

* * *

Friday, May 1st.

"Man, I know we took a few days off, but why'd Luna have to go so hard on us yesterday? I think my owies have owies," Makoto fussed.

She came to the room she was looking for.

"Looks like this is the place."

* * *

"Ohmamohmanohmanohmanohman…" Mamoru muttered frantically carrying at least two dozen items at once trying to get them sorted into their proper.

"Of all days to leave the place in a mess because you practically had to overturn it looking for your work shoes, Motoki…" Mamoru griped.

He plopped a stack of clothes down in his roommate's room before rushing out and gathering up a stack of books. As he passed the window, he noticed a hawk sitting on the ledge. He grabbed the string dropping the blinds.

"Not now!" he said.

He turned back to his task.

"Alright, gotta hurry. You can't have a guest seeing the place like this!"

The sum of his fears was realized when there was a knocking at the door.

"No! Not now! It's her, isn't it?"

"Coming," he called.

"Hey, it's Makoto," she answered.

He reluctantly went over organizing how he'd tell her that he just didn't have the time to let her use the kitchen today.

"Y-Yeah, just a second."

He set the books down on a table next to the door and turned the knob, poking his head out into the hallway. Sure enough, the tall tomboy stood there with a bag of cooking supplies ready to begin the afternoon's activities.

"Sorry I'm a little late. The bus got stuck in traffic, but I'm here now."

"Yes, yes, you are," Mamoru said with a forced smile.

"Is…something wrong?" Makoto asked, catching the look.

"Oh, nothing," he lied. "It's just that, uh…"

"I know! You thought I wasn't going to show up! Excuse me," she said pleasantly.

She suddenly yanked the out of his grasp and rushed past him. All the while, he could only watch in frozen horror.

"W-Wait, it's a mess in here!" he finally managed to come out with.

"Ya think?" she asked, caught a little off guard, surveying the minefield of an apartment.

She put a hand on her hip.

"So this is what happens when two boys have no one to tell them to clean their room," she said.

Mamoru slowly turned around and faced the sloppy stacks of newspapers, the used plates left on the dining room table, and the clothes he hadn't managed to get picked up and tossed into their respective wearers' rooms.

"Well…sorta. I try to keep things clean around here, but Motoki is a total space cadet when it comes to putting stuff away," Mamoru said with a bit of embarrassment.

He pointed to the open door of his very tidy room.

"See?"

"You know…I think before I touch the kitchen…" Makoto said.

"Yeah?" Mamoru asked.

Makoto reached into her purse and pulled out a headband and tied it to her head.

"Okay! Let's do this!" she determinedly shouted, startling the boy.

"What? Do what?" A very confused Mamoru asked.

"Oh, come on! Cleaning, of course! Cleaning!" she replied sweetly.

She turned back to the mess with the stare a battle hardened soldier ready to jump into the fray.

"I'll have this place spotless in 30 minutes or less! Okay, let's do it!"

Before Mamoru's stunned gaze, the room burst into activity as she first got to work putting away larger items to clear up the floor.

"Whoa, hold on," Mamoru said. "I can handle this. You're the guest, after all…"

"If you don't want to feel about the maid service, you can grab a cloth and start by wiping down the walls," she said.

"…If you insist."

* * *

"First, my apprentice, I want you to sweep the front steps and around the rest of the house. Afterwards, I'll show you how to prepare the sacred timbers for the meditation room," Hibiki Hino told Chad.

"Yes, sensei," Chad said eagerly.

"Good. Now I have some things that need taking care of, so I'll be away from the shrine for a while," Hibiki said.

He closed the front doors of the shrine and left Chad to his task. The young man, now clothed in the same priest uniform as Hibiki, jumped into his task headlong vigorously sweeping the dirt off the cement walkway.

Hibiki stepped down the last of the old stone steps and approached the police car waiting for him. He opened the passenger's side door and got in.

"Hello, Archpriest Hino," Artemis greeted.

"Good evening, Ishida. Tell me more about the nature of this haunting. I'll need all the information I can get to properly perform this exorcism you need me to do," Hibiki said.

"Alright, well, to begin with…"

* * *

"Hey, Chad," Rei greeted the working apprentice.

He turned from his work towards her. He could see that she was followed by another girl with long, blonde hair and dumpling buns.

"Oh, hi, Miss Rei," he said.

"Grandpa's already cracking the whip, huh?" she asked.

"It's no problem! My Master is going to teach me well," Chad said.

"Please. My Grandpa is no master," Rei said dismissively.

"Oh, who's your friend?" Chad asked curiously.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Rei said, mentally slapping herself.

She gestured to Usagi.

"Chad, this is Usagi. Usagi, Chad."

"Hi. So how come you've decided to train to become a priest?" Usagi asked him.

"Oh, I just want to do something worthwhile with my life," Chad responded.

"You've picked a touch road. Becoming a Shinto priest isn't easy. You'll have to be diligent," Rei stated.

"Hey, _Diligent_ is my middle name," Chad said, giving the peace sign.

"Yeah, and you didn't sign up for this just to be close to me," Rei said sarcastically.

"Ah! Well…about that…you see…"

"Eh, let's go inside, Usagi," Rei said dismissively.

"Rei?" Usagi said as she followed the other girl.

"He'll grow tired of it soon enough," Rei muttered.

After they'd left, Chad was left alone again.

"It looks like Miss Rei isn't easily impressed. I'll have to show her how sincere I am," Chad thought with determination.

Inside...

"So," Usagi said mischievously. "Do you like him?"

"Are you high?"

"Don't be a meanie, Rei," Usagi said peevishly.

"Whatever. Come on," Rei waved it off.

She led the way to her room and went right for her small set of shelves for books.

"Let's see, let's see…ah-ha! Here it is. _The Turn of the Screw_. Just make sure to give it back after you're done with your report…PUT THOSE DOWN! I HAVEN'T FINISHED THAT SAILOR V MANGA YET!"

"Aw, can't I just take a little peek?" Usagi asked, sifting through Rei's manga collection that she'd gotten out from under the girl's bed.

"After I'm done with it!"

"Come on, cheapskate!" Usagi whined.

"I'm letting you barrow a book of mine for school! Be a little grateful!" Rei bellowed.

* * *

_Click_

"…stious disappearances at the new amusement park, Dreamland," the news ancher.

Luna looked turned around partially in her chair to face the TV. Kenji Tsukino had just turned the station over the news and weather. She got up and stepped in closer to the TV, and leaned on the back of the couch while the news broadcast played. Kenji and Ikuko looked up at her.

"Oh, hi Megumi," they said pleasantly.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino," she replied, not taking her eyes off the television set.

"We are going live with Maxfield Stanton, one of the shareholders that invested in the building of Dreamland as he addresses the issue," the anchorman said.

Luna's eyes turned hard and she narrowed them into little slits upon recognizing the man being question.

"Nephrite," her thoughts identified him.

"Please, please," Nephrite said, holding up his hands to quiet down the barrage of inquiries.

He looked right at the camera and spoke.

"I don't believe that these disappearances have anything to do with Dreamland," he said confidently.

"But the fact is, fifty of your customers have gone missing, including kids," a reporter said.

"The number of people who come in and leave are the same everyday," Nephrite stated firmly. "It's not as if those people went missing here. Just read the reports. These people were abducted from their own homes or off the streets. Our park is not to blame."

"Now," Nephrite continued.

He snapped his fingers and park security stepped in on either side of him.

"Anymore of this will be considered an obstruction of our business, please leave," he finished.

"Oh, I'll obstruct your business, alright. You can bet on that," Luna thought.

* * *

"Stupid humans," Jadeite said smugly.

"I would agree," Nephrite said, entering the office flanked by guards.

Jadeite slowly spun around in his swiveling chair towards them.

"That was certainly a bold move putting your face on TV like that," Jadeite told him.

"Naturally, what better means are there to drawing attention to oneself?"

"True. Well, now with all Keepers' eyes on Dreamland, I can begin attending to our next target," Jadeite said. "Keith Baxter."

"Just be careful. I'm leaving these men with you. If you get any trouble before you leave, just use them and call the police. Any unwelcome visitors will be the guilty party," Nephrite said.

"Leaving them with me? Are you going somewhere" Jadeite asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I have a few things to take care of in town before I return to the States," Nephrite answered. "See you later, Jadeite."

"Later, old friend."

Nephrite left Jadeite with the guards and exited the park walking towards his limo. He was observant of his surroundings and noticed several individuals that seemed to be keeping an eye on him through their peripherals. He grinned.

"They're quick in taking the bait today," Nephrite thought, suppressing a laugh.

* * *

"Alright, eggs, milk, cheese, bread…" Naru read off the grocery list.

She hopped off the bus about a block away from the store. As she walked down the street, a stranger with long dark hair passed by. He stopped and watched her go.

"Isn't that…?" he thought.

He turned and began following her. When she repositioned her purse on her shoulder, he finally got a look at her face.

"As I thought, she's that girl Jadeite sicced The Rake on," the stranger, Nephrite thought, recognizing her.

He took in a deep breath getting a whiff of her, focusing on her energies zeroing in on them through all the other energies in the crowd.

"Such energy! It'll be brought to a peak soon. I took her off the list because she'd been under The Keepers' watch after those recent attacks on her life, but perhaps I shouldn't have," he considered.

Nephrite stopped and leaned against a streetlamp watching her go, mulling over his options.

"I'll let her go for now," he decided.

With one more glance her way, he turned and went back to his errand.

"But don't think that puts you out of my sights," he added.

* * *

"And…that's the last of the carrot peeling," Mamoru said setting the knife down.

"Alright, just drop 'em in the pot here," Makoto instructed.

A minute later, the pot was boiling atop the stove. Its cooks set at the dinner table chatting about anywhere the conversation took them while they waited for it finish.

"…that catfish had to be like this big! I'm not kidding," Makoto finished holding her hands about three feet apart.

"And your dad actually managed to reel it in?" Mamoru asked, astonished.

"Yeah! We only needed one fish for a meal that night!"

They shared a short laugh at this.

"So how about you? Have you ever gone camping or fishing?" Makoto asked.

Mamoru shook his head.

"Nah. Not really my thing. Um, I don't think I've gone camping since I was a little kid."

"No time?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah…" Mamoru answered hesitantly.

Makoto tilted her head to side and frowned, noticing the change in demeanor.

"Something wrong?"

"What? No! No. I'm fine. Just a born and bred city kid, I guess," he shrugged.

After a moment of silence passed, he spoke up again.

"Hey, you can use the phone to call home if you need," he said.

"Thanks, but it's covered," she said.

"You sure? I know how parents can be," he said.

"Oh, no, it's okay."

"You didn't tell them you were coming," he said bluntly.

"…No."

Mamoru nodded.

"Yeah, that figures," he thought.

"It'll be after dark when you get back, and on a school night," he said.

Makoto bit her lip, unsure of how much she should tell him at this stage.

"Anyway…" he said, deciding to steer the conversation away from that. "So, what's your favorite dish to prepare?"

"Oh! Cherry Pie and Meatloaf!" she replied excitedly. "Though really, I love cooking all sorts of things…"

Immediately, she began rambling off a list of things. Mamoru stayed silent and listened.

"Sounds like you're a regular chef. So, planning on opening your own restaurant someday?" he asked when she finished.

"Maybe…but I might instead open a sweets shop, or a bakery, or a flower shop," she said.

"It's not too much a stretch to picture a store selling all those things. My advice, though: pick just one to begin with and then expand to selling more once you've established yourself."

"Thank. So, what's mystery man Mamoru hoping to become?"

"Political Sciences. I'm shooting to become a defense attorney."

"Defending the innocent?"

"Oh yeah, but I'll come at an affordable price for those without a lot of money for representation."

"Sounds like you're going to have your cut out for you…oh, hey, the rice are beef are done!"

The two sat and ate.

"Hey, this is really good," Mamoru said after taking a bite. "You really are a great cook!"

"Thank for you very much! I'm glad you like it!"

"With this kind of cooking, you definitely got what it takes to make in the professional world."

"Oh, you're just being nice."

"Mako, when am I _ever _just nice?"

"Good point."

"I don't whether I just insulted myself or not."

Makoto giggled at him. Then she got an idea.

"Hey, Mamo, this college girl named Megumi that's staying with Usagi's family for the term is taking a bunch of us to Dreamland this Sunday. Wanna come?"

"Dreamland? Well…" Mamoru looked glanced back into the living room at the newspaper left on the table, which read "Fifty Dreamland customers go missing." He turned back to her with a grin.

"I'd love to."

Makoto's eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, really."

She had to fight back her exhilaration at the prospects of having a date, but then she thought of something.

"Now, you have to play nice with Usagi. Okay?"

Mamoru smirked.

"What? Can't a guy with his verbal sparring with his arch nemesis?"

She crossed her arms and gave him a strict look. He held up his hands in surrender.

"Alright. Alright. I won't bare my fangs."

Her demeanor returned to its prior happy state.

"Good!"

"Now I just have to make sure Usagi does the same," Makoto thought.

Somewhere, Usagi felt a chill down her spine.

**A/N: **Next Chapter: _A Nightmare in Dreamland_.

Yes, in the anime, it was Mamoru and Rei that got together first. However, in the manga, Mamoru stayed single up until he got together with Usagi. The live-action series gave Mamoru an arranged marriage he had to overcome to get together with Usagi. The live-action series also had Makoto getting together with Motoki, whereas the anime and manga had Motoki together with Reika. In the anime, Motoki waited for Reika to get back from Africa. In the manga, Reika never leaves Japan and even becomes friends with Setsuna Meiou/Sailor Pluto. And Yuuichiro doesn't even exist in any other versions.

That's just scratching the surface of how pairings vary from version to version! I could probably write a paper detailing how they vary (I won't, though). I think the only ones that stay the same are Usagi/Mamoru, Haruka/Michiru, and Luna/Artemis. I figure I have pretty good leeway to play around with some of the pairings since all the others mixed things up, too.

*=That's a moment right out of my childhood. My dad let me watch _The Thing_ 1982 Remake with him when I was ten. I was looking at everyone around me with suspicion for weeks.


	16. The Keeper: Information and Guide

**The**

**Keepers****:**

This is just a quick guide telling how The Keeper Organization works. I'm listing it as a separate chapter so it'll be easy to find in case any of you dear readers need to refresh your memory for any reason. As a heads up, this will always be the last chapter, even after I've added new ones.

**Basic Information**

They are the Keepers. For a millennium, this organization has been guiding mankind to better enlightenment and protect it from another world lying just around the corners of the one you see every day. This other world can often be dark and dangerous, and more the likely, it's the truly nasty denizens of this second world you'll encounter, because the peaceful ones are content to keep quiet and stay out of mankind's way. You can trust the nice ones, but beware the rest.

The Keepers for the most part are regular humans like you or me and act no differently in public. You will never know them when you see them. To you, they are a rumor. Recognizable only as déjà vu, and dismissed just as quickly. They don't exist as far as you know. They're just a friendly coworker or that fellow behind the counter at the deli. If you ever learn of their true nature, you'll soon enough forget, though likely not by your own choice.

Oh, and, if they have seen fit to step into your life, you would do well to lock your doors and windows at night. There's only one reason, and one alone, why they'd be anymore near you: you're in imminent danger and they're your only hope. If you do die, your death will be of natural causes, a freak accident, or a standard murder. Well, that'll be what everyone thinks, anyway. And it perhaps it's for the best that your family doesn't know the gooier details of your untimely demise or that you were in a parallel dimension at the time being chased by the things right out of your worst nightmares.

Anonymity of their language, and silence their second language. They are a part of every civilized government Keeping your politicians from doing anything _really_ stupid. You think you've seen your Senator make dumb calls? Fear what would happen if he or she didn't have a subtle nudge in the right direction.

Not only are they a part of the every system, they're also above it. Beyond it. They're the 'Them' and 'They' conspiracy theorists live in fear of. They are The Keepers, and don't wear black as often as you'd think. They're what Keeps the monsters watching you from the window or from the bushes at bay, but don't think that's a guarantee. For every hundred monsters they can fell, there's one of high might that they can _just_ hold off.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning…

**History**

In general, The Keepers are of the blood of a kingdom lost one thousand years ago, most of them being long-standing families. These bloodlines are from an era known as The Silver Millennium. Of course, a few do get recruited from outside from the military or police force if they're especially competent.

The lost kingdom of The Silver Millennium was a land unlike any other, but not because of military prowess or sheer size, but because of the power it wielded. This kingdom possessed the power of The Silver Crystal, a sacred item of unimaginable might. It was coveted by all, but especially by a rival land: The Dark Kingdom.

The Dark Kingdom was founded by the union of corrupted humans and dark creatures alike, under the influence of their queen, Beryl. She is the servant of an otherworldly power known only as The Entity, a rogue creature that once traveled from galaxy to galaxy devouring all in its path. Above all else, it desires to be free again, but cannot be so without the power of The Silver Crystal.

Led by Beryl, the Dark Kingdom set upon the lost kingdom like jackals. They were met on the field of battle by the lost kingdom's armies and the Celestial Warriors, but it was all for naught. In the end they destroyed the kingdom and wiped out most of its people. However, their victory was short-lived and came at a price. You see, the Queen of this lost land, Serenity, still had the power of The Silver Crystal. She used it in her last stand, sundering the forces of The Dark Kingdom, utterly crippling them. This last act cost the wise Queen her life.

Before passing away, she sent The Silver Crystal, her daughter the Moon Princess, and the power of the fallen Celestial Warriors into hiding until they could be called upon again by their chosen wielders. She also sent all that remained of her people away with one last order. They were to live on and guide humanity into an age of understanding and keep the Dark Kingdom at bay until the reawakening of the Celestial Warriors and Moon Princess.

So these surviving members of the royal court founded The Keepers. They used their knowledge and expertise to gain favor in other lands, rising up through the ranks of societies garnering wealth, power, influence, and connections. Thus The Keepers was founded, an independent organization of influential individuals that has guided mankind's course ever since. The organization to this day is funded by businesses and corporations that the descendants have founded.

Their descendants still carry out their queen's last order. The first Keepers used the edge Serenity's last stand had given them to drive the beasts of the dark back into the depths of the Earth. In time, humankind began to forget that they ever even existed and all fear and knowledge of monsters and dark entities became legends. Humankind was able to begin prospering as they never had before in time.

That position of dominance is in danger of crumbling, though. At the start of the 20th century, The Dark Kingdom began to grow stronger again, taking root in the pits of humankind's depravities under Beryl's rule. They still seek The Silver Crystal. As such, The Keepers must begin their search for the Moon Princess and the Celestial Warriors to counter their enemy's movements. Fore the ones they seek are the only ones that can pierce the darkness.

**Ranks**

The Keepers are divided into five ranks: The Core Eight, the Administrative Keepers, the Commission Keepers, the Mission Keepers, and the Apprentice Keepers.

The Core Eight: These individuals of highest ranking in the organization run everything overall and each has their own special purpose. Of the current 'Core' Keepers, there were originally nine, but one of them, Orion, has gone missing. The remaining eight are Artemis, Luna, Myddin, Pious, Kratos, Rusila, Wren, and Jocelyn.

Myddin is The Keeper of Wisdom, and considered the High Keeper among the Core Eight. He often settles disputes and moderates meetings.

Artemis is The Keeper of the Peace. Anywhere that has an especially high rate of unusual activity caused by supernatural beings, he will go to maintain order and avert public panics, often times serving within the local law enforcement to do it.

Luna is The Keeper of the Warriors. She is the main councilor of the Missions Keepers and the Celestial Warriors, responsible for their mental and psychological upkeep. As such, this is the reason she was placed in charge of handling the girls after they've been awakened.

Pious is The Keeper of Knowledge. He is the main regular of rules and protocol, and head of Archives.

Rusila is The Keeper of the Dark. She is in charge of hunting down and exterminating rogue entities that have inhabited major metropolitan areas.

Kratos is The Keeper of Strength. A natural leader and a skilled warrior, he serves as the primary drill sergeant of the new Keepers.

Jocelyn is The Keeper of the Magic Arts. Nurturing and patient, she trains the mind and soul to cast powerful magicks.

Wren is The Keeper of Courage. Though hardly the only undercover agent, Wren is a master of disguise and subterfuge, able to discover things enemies would rather he didn't.

And lastly, Orion, the former Keeper of the Hunt. Before disappearing, he was in charge of coordinating effects in exposing and exterminating creatures that'd settled themselves in secluded areas where they could torment or extort the locals without bother. Rusila has since taken up his responsibilities.

The Administrative Keepers: These people work on the inside of all the major governments for a number of purposes: to try to cease dangerous Acts or Amendments and to keep an eye on all "underworld" dealings that might happen. It also keeps them informed of anything supernatural that the authorities can't explain. The Admin Keepers send all Intel they find back to the Core Right and Commission Keepers.

Commission Keepers: They're in charge of each regional agency branch. They usually decide who to send to eliminate threats and do damage control. Commission Keepers will accompany field agents on assignments that require a large number of Keepers.

There was a branch of Keepers for every region in the world. No exceptions.

Mission Keepers: Field agents, researchers, and every other position within the organization. The reason for this loose ranking system is to encourage free thinking and to develop all agents into being resourceful individuals. The Keepers have _no_ use for someone who _needs _to be ordered around every step of the way. These low ranking agents are expected to be able to fend for themselves and to be able to coordinate even without a Commission Keeper around. In the event that a Commission Keeper is unavailable to a large group of Mission Keepers, a temporary leader will be a chosen.

Apprentice Keepers: Students of other Keepers.

A/N: And yes, I am working on the next chapter. It should be up sometime this coming week.


	17. Chapter 15: A Nightmare in Dreamland

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Thank you for your review. Yep. I'm definitely trying to shake things up a bit.

**Rigatoni: **And thank you for the review and the link.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Of course!

**Meamos: **Thank you very much. I'm glad you like the story and I'm happy for the thoughtful review.

**Chapter 15**

**A Nightmare in Dreamland**

Pious and Rusila sat at the end of a long table in the conference room. From one end to the other, sat the experts they had called on to solve the problem Jadeite and Nephrite's victims.

"Report," Pious ordered

Armand Cortés, the Forensic Scientist was the first to speak up.

"My examination of the victims only served to confirm what has been said before. Their internal organs were all in prime condition. There was absolutely no reason for them both to die. No contusions, stabs, bullet wounds, drugs, or anything else that would have compromised their systems."

"Very good," Pious replied. "Next."

Eric O'Brien, the Geneticist:

"There was nothing out of the ordinary with their genetics, either, nor anything connecting them. They don't even share the same blood type."

Lucy Tillerman, the Genealogist:

"While there is relation in their bloodlines from many centuries past, the people involved were so ordinary and the connection is tenuous at best. There's nothing in either's' familial histories that would factor into making them both targets."

Thabo Zimbalist, Medical Doctor and Psychic Medium:

"Follow up readings has wielded no further results than what I already reported."

"So basically, you've all turned up with a whole bunch of nothing," Rusila remarked.

"Well, the answers just aren't in our fields," O'Brien answered.

"Professor Hollingshead, have you come up with anything?" Pious asked the Astronomer and astrologist.

"Possibly," Hollingshead replied.

Pious and Rusila turned him, giving him their full attention.

"In my study of the stars, I did detect something in common between them, and it was Dr. Zimbalist's discovery of their unusual energy levels that led me to it," he explained. "I haven't completed all of the calculations, but with the initial work I've already done it would seem that their energy levels were increasing all on their own naturally before they were tampered with. It's long been a common theory among experts in the supernatural that there comes a time in a person's life when their energy is at an all-time high."

He slid the folder he brought with him across the table over to Pious and Rusila, and they looked through his findings.

"Well, it's a lead," Rusila said.

"Very well. Dr. Zimbalist, before you return to your clinic, perhaps you can help by telling Professor Hollingshead all you know about spirits. The information might be of some use to him. Dismissed," Pious ordered.

"Yes, sir," Zimbalist said.

The experts got up and reorganized their folders before beginning to leave.

Dr. Zimbalist approached Prof. Hollingshead.

"Well, shall we begin?" Zimbalist asked.

"Finally, something to go on," Rusila muttered.

"Yes, and while we're slaving away trying to solve this riddle, Luna's taking those girls off to some amusement park where they'll be _enjoying_ themselves at a time like this," Pious grumbled.

"Someone's feeling grouchy," Rusila deadpanned.

* * *

Sunday, May 3rd

"This is for your ears only," Luna told the girls.

She and the Warriors once again gathered in den of Rei's abode.

"I'll have to be brief since Usagi's invited two people to come along and they're on their way right now."

She shot the girl an annoyed stare, and then turned it on Makoto.

"…And you decided to make this into a date," Luna practically growled at Makoto.

"It's not like that!" Makoto exclaimed defensively.

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Well, this _was_ supposed to be our special day of fun at the amusement park, after all," Usagi said.

"I'm sorry, but The Dark Kingdom is using Dreamland to abduct people. We can't ignore that to have fun," Luna said.

"I know, I know," Usagi said lamentably.

"Look, it's nothing short of heartening to see you three Warriors all come together and win a few battles, but the war is still ahead of us with one of many more battles about to happen. I probably don't need to tell you after the outcome of that last fight not to get overconfident," Luna spoke.

"So you have this one, too?" Usagi asked Rei, pulling out a manga.

"USAGI, PAY ATTENTION!" Luna roared, making both the raven and the odango-head jump.

"Yeesh. Not so loud," Usagi cried, holding her hands her ears.

Luna's right eye and the right corner of her mouth twitched.

"You need to be more aware of yourself as a Warrior," Luna said sternly.

"Easy for you to say," Usagi said deprecatingly.

"Really. We're supposed to find this Moon Princess and beat the bad guys, and you don't even have a clue where to start looking, and we only have a few _billion _candidates all over the world. Until we find her, the war will just go on endlessly," Rei added skeptically.

"Is there some kind of sign we should be looking for?" Makoto asked.

"Well…" Luna stammered.

She turned her eyes away from the girls, mulling over whether she should say it or not. She made a decision and looked them all dead on.

"'_She will appear at the turn of the tide, and you will know her'_, Queen Serenity said," Luna quoted.

"That's all she said before…" Luna paused as the words were painful to say. "…Passing on."

"Oh, that's helpful," Rei mumbled dubiously.

"So we can't find her?" Makoto asked disappointedly.

"At the turn of the tide? For who? And when?" Usagi asked.

"All good questions. Ones we've been trying to solve for centuries," Luna said. "It could happen at any time, so the best we can do is to keep an eye out for possible events that could mean victory of defeat. Such as…"

Luna held up a newspaper she'd been clutching the entire time. It had the image of a jewel in a glass case printed on the headline.

"The British unearthed an ancient diamond that's been said to be enchanted according to old legends. It just may be our silver crystal. They're displaying it at Buckingham Palace on the night of its grand début. Even if it's not, The Dark Kingdom will still make a move for it. A lot of people could be hurt or worse if they get desperate enough to get it," Luna spoke.

"So the night of the exhibition could be the turning of the tide Queen Serenity talked about if _it_ is the Silver Crystal. The Moon Princess should arrive on the scene if that's the case. That would definitely count as 'the turn of the tide'," Rei said, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"So when is this gem's grand debut?" Makoto asked.

"May 18th, starting at 7 O'clock London Time. It's going to be a masquerade ball," Luna answered.

"A ball!" Usagi, Makoto, and Rei exclaimed passionately.

"As in, ball dresses and dance?" Makoto asked.

"Classic musical and blue-blooded men from all over the globe?" Rei asked.

"An all-you-can-eat buffet?" Usagi asked.

Usagi looked around at the stares the others were giving her.

"What?"

"Yes to all those questions, but that's not why we're going," Luna said sounding tired.

"Oh, yeah, we know that," Rei said. "But who says we can't mingle until something does happen?"

"Would it even matter if I tried to stop you?" Luna asked with defeat in her voice.

"No!" all three Warriors chirped.

Luna's phone began ringing.

"Hang on, girls, I have to take this," she said.

She took it out of her pocket, got up, and went over to a quiet corner of the room. There was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it!" they heard Yuuichiro shout.

Makoto took the opportunity to grab Usagi and pull her in close.

"Remember your promise," she whispered pleadingly.

"Yeah, yeah" Usagi muttered.

Makoto flashed her sad puppy eyes. Usagi raised her hands in surrender.

"I get it! Just stop…_that_!" she shouted.

"Who's this boyfriend of Mako's?" Rei asked.

"You'll see in just a minute," Usagi said, groaning.

A moment later the apprentice appeared in the invitees.

"Your guests, Miss Rei," Yuuichiro bowed.

He stepped aside and let them pass before leaving again.

"Hi, everyone!" Naru said jovially.

"Hello!" Ami greeted.

"Yo," Mamoru said.

Mamoru's eyes fell on Luna. She'd hung up just in time to for them not to see the cell phone.

"So…you're this Megumi that's staying with Usagi's family, huh?" he asked.

"The same. And you must be Jerkface. I've heard all about Usagi's take on you," Luna said, grinning.

She winked mischievously. Mamoru chuckled in response, giving Usagi a slight bit of stink eye in the process.

"Why I oughta…" Usagi growled.

She received a light conk on the head from Makoto. The tall brunette, all smiles, stood. Naru and Ami chuckled at their antics.

"Let's get going!" Makoto said.

About a half hour later they arrived in Dreamland. It was decorated with all manner of bright colors and the general design was that was a fanciful land of dreams, matching the park's name very well. Usagi excitedly ran ahead of the rest of the group as they the park giggling all the way. She looked all around trying to decide what ride to go on first just like an over-sized child. Luna and Rei walked together observing everything closely. Naru and Ami chatted with each other while Makoto walked hanging onto Mamoru's arm.

Luna took a small device out of her pocket that looked almost like a handheld gamma detector. It was orange colored with a small over mirror in place of the usual screen, but still had a set of buttons on it. Overall, it looked like a strange mesh of technology and magic.

"What's that?" Rei asked, spotting it.

"This is a Handheld Ethereal Energy Detection Unit. Or, the HEEDU. I was just able to procure it this morning. We've only been able to make a few of these things. I'm definitely getting readings here," Luna answered, as the device began to crackle.

"So where should we go first, Mamo?" Makoto asked.

"Um, well…" he stammered.

"Hey, hey, look! Naru!" Usagi cried, pointing. "Let's go there, first!"

"There? Aren't you just a little o-_oooold_!" Naru replied, getting yanked away as Usagi broke off into a dead sprint towards the desired ride with her friend.

"Hey, wait," Ami called and followed them.

"If the number matches, did all those people disappear shortly after they had visited this park?" Rei asked.

"It is awfully strange that only people who came here disappeared. That's not all. I actually saw Nephrite on TV as one of his many human aliases attempting to diminish any suspicions," Luna conferred.

"So a trap then?" Rei asked.

"Oh, beyond any shadow of a doubt, Rei. We must be cautious," Luna said.

"Well, it looks someone's having fun," Rei said glancing up.

Luna followed her gaze over the Merry-Go-Round. Sure enough, Usagi waving to them with a happy shout of joy while Naru and Ami quietly waited at the exit looking faintly embarrassed by her antics.

"Wheeee! I'm riding a horsie!" Usagi whooped.

"Such a kid…" Rei said with disbelief.

"I can't believe her," Luna muttered crisply.

"Come one, Mamo, let's go on the Ferris Wheel!" Makoto said, happily, dragging the young man along.

"Whoa, hey, slow down!" he said.

"And off they go," Rei said.

"Maybe they have the right idea," Luna said, scratching her chin.

"Huh?"

"The means used to mark people for abduction will be on one of the attractions, but nothing out in the open. It'll be more enclosed. Somewhere people can gather but the work can be done unnoticed. So keep a lookout for _any _place that's like a…like a fun house," Luna instructed.

"Or house of mirrors? Or one of those cheesy 'haunted houses'?" Rei asked.

"Right. They may even be marking people in different places," Luna replied.

"Maybe we should split up and cover more ground. We all brought our phones, so we should be able to call for help with anything happens," Rei said.

"Good idea," Luna responded, nodded. "I'll head off, then. Stay with Usagi, Rei."

"Understood," Rei said as Luna went off on her own.

"Yay! That was fun!" Usagi squealed happily.

"I can't believe you," Naru said, covering her face with a hand.

"What? What'd I do?" Usagi asked.

"The Merry-Go-Round is for kids!" Naru shouted.

"I _am_ a kid!" Usagi pouted.

"Little kids," Rei butted in. "You're fourteen now. The Merry-Go-Round is no place for someone your age."

"Don't you start, too," Usagi cried.

Ami stayed to the side quietly while Usagi took a double verbal beatdown from the other two as they wandered through the plaza.

"What should we go on next?! Huh? Huh!" Usagi asked hyperactively.

"Oh, act your age, already!" Rei yelled, losing her patience.

She clapped Usagi between her shoulder blades the girl was distracted looking all about. The force knocked her off balance and she tripped.

"AAAH!" Usagi screamed and fell forward, tumbling over the ground.

"…Oops," Rei stuttered.

"Rei!" Naru and Ami scolded.

Usagi fell flat on her face. She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and looked back at her frienemy.

"Usagi, are you al…right…" Naru started to exclaim worriedly, but then trailed off.

"Don't be so bossy!" Usagi screamed at Rei.

Rei didn't respond. In fact, she didn't even seem to be looking at Usagi anywhere. She stared straight ahead past her, her wide eyes read of shock. Ami and Naru did the same, and they both backed up slowly. Ami hid behind Naru, in fact.

"Usagi…get away from there!" Naru whispered frightened.

"Eh? What's your deal?" Usagi demanded.

She faced forward and found that a huge furry and sharp-toothed face was in _her _face.

"EEEK!" she shrieked.

Usagi flew back and landed on her behind. Now that she had a better look at the monster, she could see it was a lion. She screamed again and struggled to get up and run away, stumbling over her own limbs several times doing it. She staggered over to Rei and hid behind the black-headed girl.

"A lion?!" Ami managed to peep.

"Don't move. It can smell fear," Naru whispered.

Then the lion's head bobbed down.

"Hello," it said in a polite voice.

The four girls blinked dumbfounded.

"What." They said flatly.

"It…" Rei was near speechless.

"It talked!" Usagi said.

Someone approached, laughing softly at them. The four looked towards the person and saw it was a girl dressed beautiful pink dress. She also wore a crown in her long, violet wig. She held a single red apple in her hand over her lower chest. She smiled at them sweetly, taking a spot next to the lion.

"Don't worry. He's just a mechanical lion," she said kindly.

"Huh!" Usagi cried, practically clamoring on top of Rei while looking over the other girl's shoulders.

"You must be the dream princess!" Usagi cried.

Ami came out from behind Naru as the two both breathed out a sighs in relief. Usagi leaped right over Rei forcing the girl onto her hands and knees with an "oof" with the sudden applying of weight. Usagi trotted over to the girl in the dress.

"I wanted to see you!" Usagi spoke with child-like glee.

"You said it's a machine?" Ami asked the Dream Princess curiously.

"Oh yes, it's controlled by remote control," The Dream Princess replied.

She grabbed the apple she held with her other hand and seemingly split it in two. Actually, there was a hinge on the side of the apple. She was merely opening it up. Inside, the girls could see a small joystick and a few buttons.

"Watch," she instructed.

She pushed the joystick forward and the lion started walking towards Rei. Rei felt something strange as the Dream Princess fiddled with the controlled, and it was cold, whatever it was. She eyed the park employee suspiciously, but didn't make a move. Not with Usagi standing right next to her.

"And check this part out," The Dream Princess said.

She pressed a red button and within a few seconds, other real-looking mechanical animals of all kinds began to gather in the plaza. Deer, rabbits, a tiger, a warthog, little piglets, and a even bear! Usagi looked around at them like a child in a candy store.

"Amazing! They're so cute!" Usagi cried.

Rei was feeling that cold presence more and more as the animals gathered.

"Something's wrong. Something's _very_ wrong," she thought.

She took a deep breath and kept calm. She didn't know what she was dealing with yet and had to remain discreet for the moment. She gave Naru and Ami a glance out of the corner of her eye. If anything happened, she and Usagi would be fine, but those two were just civilians.

"Fascinating!" Ami cried. "I've never seen animatronics so advanced! They must have a really big budget if they can afford these!"

"I'll say. I didn't even know tech like this even existed," Naru said, watching a "family" of mechanical ducks pass by intently.

Aaah!" Usagi suddenly shouted.

Rei almost had a heart attack as the bear lunged forward. She was ready to charge the mechanical attacker. Then the bear's head went down and came back up, flipping Usagi over into the air. She landed in a riding position on its back. Usagi sat there stunned landing for a moment before realizing what a stunt had just been pulled off. She laughed and hugged the big hunk of fur around the neck.

"You're adorable!" she cried.

Rei swallowed hard and closed her eyes, and slowed her breathing. She looked at Usagi with purpose and marched towards her.

"Usagi!" she called.

"Oh, Rei! Climb on!" Usagi said, tapping a spot on the bear behind herself.

"No. Get off!" Rei commanded.

She grabbed Usagi by the arm and pulled her off. Usagi tumbled over the side of the bear, and if Rei hadn't had a hold of her, she would have landed roughly on the ground. Rei steadied her until she was able to stand again.

"Rei, calm down," Ami said. "I know machines can be dangerous if they malfunction, but don't just yank Usagi around like that."

"Sorry…but I really didn't think it was safe for her on this thing's back, but I'll keep that in mind," Rei answered earnestly.

"Hey! What gives?!" Usagi demanded heatedly.

"I sense something, and it's coming from the Dream Princess and her animals," Rei whispered _just_ loudly enough that her fellow Warrior could hear.

"Eh?" Usagi responded with a confused look.

She looked over at the Dream Princess now busied herself entertaining some nearby children by making the rabbits do tricks.

"Are you sure…?" Usagi asked with some doubt.

"**Yes.**" Rei hissed.

"She looks like fine to me," Usagi whispered back.

"Don't be dense," Rei berated.

"Is that anyone to treat your senior officer?" Usagi asked huffily.

Rei snorted at that and was about to make a retort to that, but the Dream Princess interrupted.

"Excuse me," she called over to them.

Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Naru turned to her.

"I have a show at the Dream Land Theater in an hour," she told them. "Won't you all please come and enjoy the show?"

"Of course!" Usagi hollered back eagerly.

"This place has a theater?" Naru asked.

"Is that it?" Ami asked, pointing.

Everyone looked over in the direction she pointed to. It was a tall palace that looked like it was made out of various kinds of candy and other sweets located towards the center of the park.

"You have a good eye," The Dream Princess said. "Yes, it is."

"Oh, wish that candy was real! It looks tasty!" Usagi said hungrily.

"Oh, brother. Get a hold of yourself," Rei nagged.

"You do realize who you're asking of, right?" Naru said light-heartedly.

"Naru! That's mean!" Usagi said shrilly.

* * *

Mamoru cleared his throat.

"So, what do you want to go on now?" he said somewhat nervously.

"Hmm…" Makoto hummed, giving the area a quick scan.

Her eyes lit up when she spotted it. She pointed over at a water tunnel ride for lovers.

"How about there?" she asked.

"There?" Mamoru asked dryly.

"Yeah. What's wrong with it?" Makoto asked.

"Nothing. It's just…these slow rides are kinda boring, don't you think?" he asked.

"Oh, what would you suggest?" she asked.

"How about…"

His gaze fell on the "Loops of Death" roller coaster ride. He looked at her, grinning.

"Unless you're chicken," he said teasingly.

Makoto smiled dangerously, narrowing her eyes.

"Chicken, eh? Oh, Mister Adrenaline Junky. You asked for it. We're going to go on all the scariest rides and the first one to back out buys the meal next time," she said challengingly.

Mamoru leaned in with a confident smile.

"You. Are. _On,_" he said.

They got in line for the Loops of Death. As they did, Makoto kept a sharp eye out at all times.

"With all these people around, it's going to be difficult to tell if there's anything wrong, but maybe going from place to place around the park will turn up something," she thought.

* * *

"See anything wrong?" Rei whispered to Usagi as the four walked past the food booths.

"Nothing," Usagi asked, uncertainly.

"Well, we're already split up around the park. So I guess we're already doing all we can," Rei said in a low voice.

"So what are you two talking about?" Naru piped in mischievously popping up between them. "Boys?"

"What?!" Usagi and Rei balked. "N-no! It's nothing like that!"

"Oh, really?" Naru asked, slyly.

"Hey, Naru," Usagi whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Rei and Luna said any place that's out of the eye of the crowds here is where the enemy will be doing working their voodoo. So stay away from those places, and don't let Ami out of your sight," Usagi told her.

"Ah, got it. I'll be careful of that," Naru assured her.

"Is anyone else getting thirsty?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, actually, I am," Rei answered. "Come on. Let's get some soda and maybe some ice cream."

"So what do you guys think about the Dream Princess's show?" Naru asked.

"If nothing else, I want to keep an eye on that 'Dream Princess'," she thought.

"Me too! Me too!" Usagi cried.

"Calm down. You're making a scene," Naru scolded.

* * *

Luna sat on a park bench observing the Dream Princess and her 'pets' play with some children. She was there on a hunch after her handheld picked up some readings when she passed the mascot earlier. Thus far, her watch on the mascot hadn't wielded any results, but she was going to be diligent since she didn't have any other leads to go off of and she figured the girls would have the rides covered.

"I'll follow her silently until she goes off somewhere alone. She won't try anything in public," she thought.

* * *

"Why am I here again?" Rei asked glumly.

Her face flushed as she road on the slow moving train proportionate in size for its child target demographic. In front of her, Usagi hummed merrily, just having a ball.

"Oh, simmer down. This ride goes all over the park. It's a good way to patrol," Usagi said as she watched the view slowly pass by.

"Sounds more like an excuse to me," Rei muttered.

"What was that? More complaining?" Usagi asked in annoyance.

"Yes, because we're not actually getting a good look at anything," Rei stated firmly.

"Oh, lay off. You've been on my case all day," Usagi grumbled.

"I should have gone with Naru and Ami to get ice cream, instead. Huh…from the back, your hair really does like dumpling buns. No wonder Mamoru calls you Dumpling Head. Or maybe hot springs buns."

"That's enough!" Usagi huffed, standing up.

Unfortunately, the train was still moving.

"Wha-whoa!" Usagi cried out.

She teetered off balance and was about to fall off. Just in time, Rei grabbed hold of her and pulled her back down into a sitting position.

"Geez! Did you forget where you were or something? This stupid toy train's still going, you know?" Rei reprimanded her.

She seethed for a moment, and commented again.

"I also feel like a total loser on this thing," Rei hissed angrily.

"Then feel the shame!" Usagi shot back.

"A show will be starting at the Dream Land Theatre in 10 minutes," a woman's voice spoke over a loud speaker.

"Hey, Mr. Panda Driver!" Usagi called to the guy in a panda driving the train. "Can you stop and let us off!"

"Sorry, miss. I can't stop until the next stop!" he hollered back.

"So inflexible," Usagi griped.

* * *

"So, should we wait for Usagi and Rei's ride to come back around while we have our ice cream, or would you rather do something else, Ami?" Naru asked.

The two neared the entrance of the toy train ride.

"Ah, well…" Ami mumbled.

She looked uncertainly. Then she noticed someone.

"Oh, hey, isn't that Megumi?" the brainy girl asked.

Naru looked around and spotted 'Megumi' in the crowd just standing out in the open with her back turned to them. It seemed like she had her eye on the Dream Land Theater.

"It sure is. Hey…Megumi!" Naru shouted.

"Crap, I almost forgot not to call her 'Luna'," Naru thought with dread.

Luna turned at the sound of her alias being shouted.

"Oh, hello, girls," Luna said with a smile. "Having fun?"

"Some. Rei seems really tense for some reason, though, and has all day," Ami answered.

"Yes, she seems like a very serious girl," Luna chuckled. "Well, I'm going to catch the show. You to go ahead and enjoy the park."

"Trying to protect us, huh?" Naru thought.

"Sure thing," Naru said putting on her best smile.

She turned to Ami.

"Hey, after we finish our ice cream, let's go on the skylift!"

* * *

"Oh, don't such a baby!" Makoto said, laughing.

She steadied as he held one of his aching temples with his fingers.

"This was a bad idea," he thought.

He was now kicking himself for taking her challenge after a dizzying experience on a white-water ride.

_Beep beep beep beep_. Something was ringing in Makoto's jean pocket.

"Oh, that's my…pager! I'll be right back. I have to take this," she said.

She ran over to a pay phone while Mamoru sat down on a bench and waited for her to return.

Once at the public phone, Makoto pretended to use it, but actually pulled out her cell and saw that it was Luna calling her.

"This is Mako. Got a lead?" she asked.

"Yes. I believe so. Come to the Dream Land Theater. Drop off your boyfriend as quickly as possible," the voice on the other end answered.

"Understood. I'm on my way."

Makoto hung and pocketed the device again.

Mamoru faced her as she came towards him.

"Sorry. Family emergency. I have to leave," she lied, trying to making it sound as natural as possible.

"I totally understand," Mamoru said with a understanding smile.

"Thank for you the good time. We should do this again sometime," she said. "Well, seeya!"

Then she ran off seemingly towards the exit.

"Just call," Mamoru hollered after her.

* * *

"Oh, please tell we didn't miss it!" Usagi begged whatever deity might be listening.

Rei silently followed after her. She reached for her pocket and hilt for her transformation device. It was still there nestled in her pants pocket. They rounded the corner to the Theater.

"Looks like someone's waiting for us," Rei said.

Standing out front of the theater was Makoto.

"Are we too late?" Usagi called to her.

"Yeah, and I just got a message from Luna that she already headed inside. Come on, we can't have missed anymore than the first few minutes," Makoto answered.

"No fair! Why didn't she wait for us?" Usagi complained.

Makoto noticed that Rei was staring at the building intently.

"You sense something, Rei?" she asked.

"Yes. I sense an evil aura inside. She definitely picked the right place," Rei answered.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Usagi demanded. "Let's get in there and kick some butt!"

Meanwhile, Luna was seated towards the back. In the seats all around, people spoke and children voiced their impatient for the show to begin. It wasn't long before the Dream Princess stepped up onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Dream Land Theater. Please enjoy the show!" she said welcomingly.

She bowed and exited the stage to the left just as the curtain was pulling back. The stage lights flicked on, revealing a stage full of marionettes. Luna leaned forward in her seat to watch the proceedings closely. The HEEDU in her pocket began to crackle with loudly.

* * *

"It's locked," Makoto grunted, straining to pull the large double doors open.

Rei suddenly gasped.

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked in alarm.

"Something happening inside!" Rei declared.

"What?!" Usagi gasped.

Makoto was braced her foot against the one door and pulled on the other with a great heave.

"Could Luna be in any danger?" Usagi asked, worried.

"Luna…can take of…herself. It's the civilians I'm…worried about," Makoto said in a straining voice.

Finally, Makoto stepped back, shrugging hopelessly.

"It's no use. Whatever they did has it shut tight," she said.

"Rei! Is there some kind of seal on the door?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, I'm on it," Rei answered, taking out a ward.

"Good! Dispel it," Usatgi said urgently.

Makoto looked around for anyone that might be watching.

"Damn. We can't risk transforming in broad daylight," she murmured.

"Evil Spirits Begone!" Rei yelled.

She pressed the ward against the door, surging all possible strength into the purification as she could. The door glowed, shook, and then was still. She turned the knob and the yanked it open. The three ran in, and took out their transformation devices.

* * *

"Oh, little Princess," Nephrite's voice sounded in the Dream Princess's ear piece.

"Yes, Milord," she answered.

"Someone's just compromised the front door's seal. Probably the Warriors. Put the audience to sleep and make sure their minds are influenced so that they think they watched the rest of the show, and take the fight elsewhere. We can't have anyone becoming any of the wiser by our cover getting blown. Understood?"

"Yes, Milord," she answered. "Right away."

* * *

"Hmm. What's this?" a man in front of Luna asked.

"What's wrong, dear?" his wife asked.

"Well, this mark on my hand wasn't here a minute ago," he replied, running his fingers over it.

Luna took her eyes off the show to look over his shoulder and saw the mark. It was the same mark that had been on little Desuke's hand before, and Luna knew it's a significance. She leaned back, settling herself comfortably.

"I know what we're dealing with now," she whispered to no one in particular.

She slipped out of her seat and walked crouching low out into the hall just outside with her phone in hand. It was time to call the girl. No sooner had she flipped the device open did she hear a strange whooshing sound behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Dream 'Princess' in the back behind the crowd blowing pink smoke out of her mouth. It was washed over the audience, sending them into enchantment induced sleep.

Luna ducked out of sight of the doorframe before she was spotted. She heard the audience members nodding off one by one inside. She held her breath as a bit of the pink smoke reached out into the hall before dissipating. Then that she heard the faint clanking footsteps. It was coming from around the corner at the end of the hall she. Shortly after, the girls raced around the corner in full gear. Luna had to admit to being a little proud that she didn't have to call them there.

"Luna!" Moon called.

Luna summoned her spear and stepped away from the wall.

"She's put the whole audience to sleep!" Luna shouted. "Come on!"

When they burst into the room the Dream Princess was waiting for them on the center stage. She smiled quaintly and gave them a bow like a good hostess.

"Well to the Dream Land Theater. We've been expecting you, but where are my manners? Come and follow me to the parlor," she said courteously.

As she moved back off stage into the backstage area, she seemed to float across the floor. Her four enemies leapt onto the stage.

"A trap? I can't see this lot being too concerned about these people," Rei said.

"Yes, a trap. And they're being practical. Come on, we have to follow her!" Luna said.

They gave chase, dashing into backstage area. They looked around, but the Dream Princess was nowhere in sight. All around where cardboard sets of different shows, props, boxes, crates, marionettes hanging by their strings with their wooden racks set atop a pair of bars on a stand, and other pieces of backstage paraphernalia. However, there was a noticeable lack of stage hands. In fact, no one seemed to be around at all.

"Ugh. Great, looks like we got ourselves a game of Hide 'n' Seek," Jupiter mumbled angrily.

"Oh, contraire, little kitty and Warriors," a voice came from seemingly everywhere.

On the two doors in the back corners of the room, the face of the Dream Princess appeared like a phantom.

"Come get me if you dare," she said.

The faces faded away, leaving them alone.

"What'll we do? We can't leave those people back there behind," Moon said.

"Don't worry about them. If they wanted to hurt them, they'd already be hurt," Luna said. "They lulled them to sleep because you broke in. They're dreaming about the rest of the show. In a while they'll wake up none the wiser and leave. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book."

"That's why they're taking the fight away from the crowd? They don't want them waking up with injuries?" Mars asked.

"Like I said, they're just being practical," Luna answered.

"Fair enough, so just what is our bad guy this time?" Moon asked.

"A Beldam," Luna answered. "One of the Fae."

"Fey. Is that Chinese?" Moon asked.

"No, 'Fae' as in faeries and this is no Tinkerbelle we're dealing with. Be on your guard, and don't trust everything that you'll see. Mind tricks and illusions are their favored tactics," Luna corrected

"Right. We should split up and check behind doors," Moon said.

"Is that such a good idea? We're a stronger unit together," Mars said.

"Maybe, but if we pick the wrong door, she could get away and we might never find the people they've taken!" Moon argued.

"Good point. In that case I'll go with Moon through the left door. Mars, you and Jupiter take the right. You're a psychic and I'm a magic user. That'll equip both teams with the necessities," Luna said.

"Great, now that we have a plan. Let's go!" Moon ordered.

They split up and ran through their respective doors. Moon and Luna's path brought them a long white hallway. Jupiter and Mars's took them into a storage area. Both were watched by unseen eyes that just waited for the chance to begin their attack.

The hall Moon and Luna traversed had no doors on either side until the very end, which came to a T-Section. Luna took out the HEEDU device and flicked it on. Moon glanced behind them as they passed slowly through the long hallway.

"Can fae teleport?" Moon asked.

"Normally they'll just cloak themselves in illusions, but she's working for The Dark Kingdom now, and they_ can _teleport," Luna explained.

"Crud," Moon murmured.

When they came to the T-section, they leaned their backs against the walls as flat as they could. They exchanged a nod, and dashed out into each passage, facing it, and protecting each others' backs. Nothing was waiting to attack either one. Luna took out the HEEDU again and scanned the passage she was facing. The readings were weak, so she turned and headed towards the passage Moon guarded, which was to the left. The machine buzzed and crackled louder as she neared.

"Whatever's back here is waiting for us this way," Luna announced.

The hall was short, and ended in three doors. One on the right and the other two were on the left. Moon and Luna approached, their guard raised. They came to the first door and opened it. It was nothing but a small supply room with pens, paper, a copier-printer, and more. The next was a closet. They came to the last door. Moon's gloved hand closed around the knob and she slowly turned it, pushed it slightly open. She pushed the rest of the way with one of her blades.

Luna flicked on the light switch. It was a boiler room. A hot water heater was in the corner and some other pipes and equipment lay about keeping the building warm. They scanned the room carefully for anything out of place, but everything from the plaster walls to the concrete floor seemed fine. Something reflecting the light in one of the other corners caught Luna's eye, but she couldn't see it clearly from the entrance because it was on the other side of some piping. She and Moon walked around the pipes to get a better look. In the corner on the floor was a long, metal door. Written on it in pink lipstick was: _come down 'n' play_. Luna dropped to one knee and pulled up on it, but it was locked.

"I've got it," Moon said.

She stood next to Luna and stabbed the lock with her sword. It broke and Luna tried it again, this time lifting the metal with just a bit of effort. Underneath were concrete steps leading down into a cellar so dark it seemed like a wall of black. By now, the HEEDU's noises were almost deafening. Luna turned it off.

"I'd say the entire the entire cellar is one big hot spot," Luna spoke in a low voice.

She pocketed the little machine.

"This thing won't do us much down there, then," she said wearily.

She took out her phone and tried to use it, but the call was lost every time. The electromagnetic disturbance _was _very strong by now.

"Glow," Moon ordered her blades.

They began emitting brightly, brighter than the light bulb overhead. Moon was first down the stairs. Luna followed her down, lifting her spear out in front protectively. They cautiously came went down. Luna glanced back to make sure the door didn't slam shut behind them. They were no more than halfway down when they both felt the chill. Moon stopped and looked back at Luna.

"You feel that?" she whispered almost trembling.

"Yeah. There's definitely something using up all the heat to maintain itself," Luna answered, also in a whisper.

Moon looked down at the base of the stairs and into the darkness beyond.

"Well…ready or not, here we come," Moon said.

She gulped back her fear and took another step. She held out the blades as far and high as she could. It lit some more of the area, but they couldn't see any sign of life. She lowered them again. They took it slow until they reached the bottom. Moon stepped aside allowing Luna to stand next to her. They peered into the thick, musty black. The light of Moon's sword lit up room empty, dusty room. Some cobwebs lined the ceiling. There was only one path straight ahead of them. Moon and Luna stood there waiting for any sign of movement for a while. Luna remained calm and Moon struggled to keep calm. After they were certain nothing was going to spring out of the darkness just yet, they began walking.

* * *

Mars slowly led the way through the storage room around the towering piles of boxes and crates. Jupiter was right behind her. They weren't going to caught off-guard. They passed by another stand of marionettes. Their caricature-like eyes seemed to follow them around. Jupiter shivered a little beholding them.

"Marionettes? Why'd it have to be marionettes? I hate those little clumps of wood. They give me the willies," Jupiter whispered to Mars.

Mars had to concur. There was something wrong with those little figures hanging by their strings. However, the strongest presence of all was beyond through the garage door in the back. Mars made a beeline for it and pressed the red button to open it. The door slid up, revealing a closed in loading yard surrounded on all sides by the walls of a castle. Lining either of the dirt road leading from the double doors were storage lockers.

"Do they plan on overhauling the sets a lot? I can't figure why else they'd need all this space for holding stuff," Jupiter said.

"Let's find out," Rei said.

They approached the closet locker to them. They knew it'd be locked, but that was no problem. Jupiter raised a fist and charged it up. She gave it a charged right hook utterly obliterating it. Then she grabbed it at the button and pulled up. She practical throw the door open. Both girls stopped where they were, taking in what was in the interior.

There were people incased in glass rectangular boxes, much like coffins. Mars laid a hand on one of them. This one housed a little boy. She closed her eyes and used her sixth sense to try to get a beat on the status of the person inside.

"Well?" Jupiter asked.

"He's alive. They all are. It's just like the Doom Bus. They've been put to sleep," Mars answered.

Jupiter took out her phone to call Luna. Like when Luna tried it, it didn't go through. Jupiter's brow furrowed as she tried making a call with it a few times. Finally, she lowered it away from her ear and stared with puzzlement.

"That's weird. It won't send out any calls," she said.

"Too much interference," Mars clarified. "There's energy buzzing all through this area. We'll just have to go find Moon and Luna."

The two Warriors left the locker and headed back into the storage room. Jupiter paused. She'd heard a noise that sounded a lot like wood hitting the floor rapidly. She looked around for anything that seemed odd, but spotted nothing.

"Jupiter, come on," Mars said impatiently.

"You didn't just hear that?"

"Yeah, but we have to go back Luna and Moon."

"…Hey, where'd the marionettes go?" Jupiter asked.

"Huh?"

Mars turned and looked at the stand where the little puppets had been hanging earlier. Only they were now gone. Left, and then right, their head turned scoping out the room.

"Damn!" Mars uttered.

"Relax. Even if they're bunch of Chuckies, they're still made of wood. Lightning and fire spell disaster for that," Jupiter said confidently.

Excited shrieks and giggles broke loose at deafening levels as if in response Jupiter's comment. Both girls covered their ears painfully and gritted their teeth against the sound as the once silent storage area was filled with ear-splittingly loud cried and laughs.

"What the hell?!" Jupiter yelled.

The sounds of banging little footsteps came rushing at them from all sides. Mars and Jupiter turned so they were back-to-back the other. Jupiter immediately began conducting lightning between her gauntlets and Mars activated her bow, drawing back a fire arrow and aiming it at one of the little puppets.

CLOMP! The first marionette jumped up on a box. It was tailored to look like a hobo, with ratty clothes, a gangly build, and a scruff painted onto its face. It was followed by a milkmaid puppet, then a conductor, and so forth until the girls were surrounded. They all had eerie smiles on their faces that hadn't been there before. They also wobbled where they stood and their limbs twitched unnaturally. And they all giggled. It wasn't normal, happy laughter. It was nervous laughter and they passed looks between each other as if sharing some joke that was lost on the two Warriors.

"What are they doing? Why are they laughing like that?" Jupiter asked.

"You got me," Mars replied.

Then the laughter just stopped, leaving the room in uncomfortable silence. All the puppets stood perfectly still, staring at the Warriors. Then acting as one, they opened their mouths, revealing long spikes inside their mouths. The spikes were far too long for them not to cause damage when their mouths were shut and their mouths just kept opening wider and wider until they were of cartoonish proportions. Then they pounced high up above the girls and came down at them in a wave. Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest and then sniped out with both in a circular motion discharging lightning in all directions. Innumerable arrows struck targets out of the air, striking them back like a hammer.

* * *

Luna and Moon had reached the end of this particular route. There was a door on the left wall and the hall continued around to a corner leading right. They first checked the room. It was empty, save for an iron ring set in the floor.

"What is that for?" Moon asked.

"It's for tethering someone in place. Prisoners in ages past would often be left chained in place if they had to be taken out of their cell for some reason. What this is doing here now, I'd rather not guess," Luna explained.

They left it behind, turning the corner. Beyond the hall was a large room. It, too, was empty save for one feature. In the middle of the floor was a circle of mushrooms.

"Now that's just weird," Moon said.

Suffering a bout of paranoia, she looked behind them and saw nothing.

"S-So, where's the Beldam?" Moon asked in a tiny voice.

"It's in its lair. We're looking right at the entrance."

Moon scanned the room, but didn't see anything that looked remotely like a door.

"Where?" Moon asked in confusion.

"Don't you know anything about fairy rings?"

Moon looked down at the ring of mushrooms.

"That's the entrance?!" she cried.

"Yep," Luna replied.

Luna reached into her pocket and pulled out two black marble-like objects.

"Recall Stones!" Moon beamed.

"Never leave home without 'em," Luna said.

She chucked one over into a dark corner of the basement and pocketed the other.

"Now do as I do," Luna ordered.

They stepped onto the fairy ring. The world outside of the ring went fuzzy for a few minutes before clearing again. They were suddenly somewhere else in a boggy around area where the fog pulsated all around as if it were alive. Dead trees were all around them.

"We've entered the lair of a Beldam. We're playing her game now. Be cautious and don't you _dare_ leave my side!" Luna ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Moon responded.

Then Moon looked around with a lost expression on her face.

"Uh, Luna, how do we find the Beldam?"

"We follow the mushrooms," Luna answered.

She pointed to a line of mushrooms leading deeper into the bog.

"Oh!"

With that, they left the ring.

* * *

"GET 'EM OFF ME! GET 'EM OFF ME!" Jupiter shouted.

The creatures crawled over her taking bites at her armor. She had to beat them all off one at a time. She'd smack one away only for it to be replaced with more.

"I'm a little busy!" Mars shouted back.

She'd corner herself high up on a stack of crates. She fired on every marionette that made a jump for her or tried to scale the mountain of wooden cubes. The extremities of Mars's peripherals saw wave after wave of these things coming for them. One on one, they were harmless to the two Warriors, but in a never-ending mob they'd spell doom. Mars wondered why there were so many.

"Is something spawning them? Is there some…evil puppet maker lying in a corner somewhere unseen? I have to figure this out."

There was an unexpected warm breath on the back of her neck. Without having to look, she struck the source with one of the ends of her bow, knocking the little vermin off her back. That it had landed on her without making its presence known discomforted Mars to no end. She'd have to be more careful.

Then both her legs were yanked right out from underneath her. She fell forward with a short cry, crashed face first into the crate she'd been standing on and she tumbled down the rest, getting bashed all over clear down to the floor landing on her side. Her bow bounced off the floor, landing a distance from her. Mars's world was a red-hazy pain shooting through her skull. She couldn't even move to look down at her feet to how or why she'd been tripped up. The little demons that were attacking climbed onto her, jostling her about. With each movement, the pain returned, bringing Mars out of her senseless state. She clenched her teeth and eyes shut out of agony. They gripped her arms and attempted to pull behind her back.

"Fire…need…fire…" her jumbled thoughts managed to process.

She clenched both hands into fists as if summoning two arrows. She tried to concentrate, but found it difficult with the throbbing pain in her head. Fire lashed out from her fists, making the little puppets squeal and retreat, but she couldn't maintain them and the flames vanished.

"Mars!" Jupiter shouted. "Mars, are ya okay?!"

Jupiter held both forearms upwards over her torso, conducting lightning from both them and her boots. All of her gear briefly sparked with electricity, burning up the puppets trying to subdue and kill her. Freed, she was still surrounded. New puppets jumped at her and she kicked and punched them away, eventually becoming covered in them again.

"Shit!" she shouted, angered and frustrated.

Mars tried again as the little beasts closed in on her again.

"Bigger burst bigger burst BIGGER BURST!" her thoughts began to scream.

Two arrow-like rods build up in her hands as she focused on one thing and one thing only. They grew to the size of karate bos before bursting into a ball of flame that engulfed Mars. For a second, it looked like a shining flower as its force sent the puppets flying back.

Mars blinked her eyes as her head started to clear. She rolled onto her stomach and pushed off the ground with her hands and knees and rose dizzily. She smelled smoke. With somewhat glassy eyes, she turned around and saw that she'd caught the boxes and crates on fire. She looked down at her legs. The singed remains of puppet strings was looped around one of her ankles, answering one question.

"Hey! A little help!" Jupiter yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'," Mars said.

She raised her hand to receive her weapon. It flew out from where it had landed. She didn't quite catch it and bounced off her chest plate before clattering to the floor again. She tried again and it caught this time. The little monsters swarmed in around her again, taking care to stay far from the burning wood. They came from all sides crowding the spaces between the rows of crates. Mars batted them away using her bow like a club and then leapt straight up towards the ceiling and grabbed onto a rafter. She hooked her legs around it and let her upper body dangle upside down. Then she aimed another shot, this one at the puppets mobbing Jupiter. The arrow in her grip split into three and then let them built up in size. She let them fly.

"Head's up!" she shouted.

Jupiter glanced up and covered her head in her forearms. The fiery projectiles hit their marks and burst, bathing Jupiter in their burning fountain for a brief instant, freeing her of her attackers. Jupiter uncovered her face just in time to see Mars's legs give out. In her weakened condition, the stunt she'd just pulled out wore her out and she fell.

Jupiter pushed off the ground and soared into the air, intercepting the fall. She grabbed up Mars in a tight hug-like hold and then landed them both safely on the other side of the room. She released her companion but still held her shoulders to steady her. Mars held the side of her head as the world spun.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," Jupiter replied, contented that her friend was unharmed.

They heard the sound of clattering wood and looked over at the marionettes as they approached again.

"Tenacious, aren't they?" Mars asked.

"Yeah, stubborn, too."

Mars gave her look, but said nothing, returning her gaze to the puppets.

"We have to act, quick! Stand behind me and grab hold of my wrist!" Mars ordered.

Jupiter obeyed and kept hold as Mars notched another arrow and took aim. By now the storage was absolutely filled with the foot tall wooden terrors.

"The only way to stop the tide is massive damage. I just hope this place has insurance!" Mars said. "Now lend your power to mine, Jupiter!"

Jupiter surged her lightning power into the bow.

"Burst!" Mars roared and fired.

People all over the park shook with fright at the sound of a deafening explosion and anyone who happened to be facing the Dream Land Theatre was greeted with the sight of an arc of lightning blasting through the roof and up into the sky.

* * *

"Goodness! What was _that_?" Ami gasped as the girls waited in line at the tilt-a-whorl.

"Ah-pr-probably just some light show! Yeah!" Naru said with force chirpiness.

She looked back in the direction it'd come from.

"What's going on in there?" Naru thought.

She was seriously starting to worry.

"That was no light show! I know lightning when I see it, but how it come up from the ground?" Ami asked with consternation.

* * *

Shrieks and howls could be heard as the entire storage room burned. The two Warriors shielded their faces with their gauntleted hands. They clutched some cloth they'd grabbed over their mouths and noses. Mars struggled to see through flames. There! She spotted the remaining stragglers retreating all in the same direction.

"There! See? After them! We'll get to the source of these little freaks yet!" Mars shouted.

Mars ran low, followed by Jupiter. They did their best work their way through the burning and collapsing room. The sprinkler system overhead turned on, but only about half of the nuzzled worked, thanks to the over damage to the building. Some of the piping broke open, raining a steady stream down onto the fired below.

"What about the audience?" Jupiter asked, coughing.

In the auditorium, the audience members came to as a fire alarm blared. They quickly filed out of the building through the front door.

"There they go!" Jupiter hissed.

In a secluded corner of the room, the remaining marionettes piled into a small rounded hole in the wall. It was just big enough that Mars and Jupiter could crawl through on their stomachs.

"I'm going first. My ranged attacks don't need a weapon to work," Jupiter said.

She got down and inched her way through the little hole, followed by Mars.

* * *

Nephrite sat in the security room, his eyes glued to the monitors watching the Warriors' progress towards his subordinates.

"Damn, those brats trashed the wares section of the Theater!" he grumbled.

He partially turned his head from the monitors without looking away to shout over his shoulder.

"Somebody get an Eye Spy over there. We have a Palantir in the back room we can use to see through its gaze. It's like a crystal ball. You can't miss it," he called.

The guard didn't respond. This prompted Nephrite to turn around fully in annoyance.

"Hey, are you deaf, I ordered…"

The guard lay on the floor unconscious. Leaning against the doorframe was Phantom Mask.

"Good guards. They're so hard to hire these days," Mask said.

"You!" Nephrite roared contemptuously.

He stood up into a fighting stance.

"How did you get in here? And why aren't you helping your comrades? You should be more concerned considering what they're going to be up against today," Nephrite demanded every bit as much out of curiosity as confusion.

"Those girls can handle themselves. I've seen them do it time and again. I wanted a look at who's pulling today's strings," Mask answered.

"Really now? Well, I hope it was worth it, because unlike Zoicite, I'm not going to make the mistake of letting you live. You know, you've been a real bother to my friend Jadeite lately," Nephrite said.

He stuck his hand out. A magic circle formed under his feet. From the ground came a halberd* passing through the floor like it was water. It floated up to its master hand. Nephrite gripped the poled-ax and the glowing circle vanished. Nephrite's civilian clothes glimmered and distorted like ripples on a pond. When the distorting in reality ceased, he was now garbed in his Dark Kingdom uniform.

Mask dashed out into the hall. He quickly summoned his own weapon, his sword, as Nephrite gave pursuit. Mask sprinted into the lobby of the building. Only then did he stop and face his opponent. Nephrite charged in, stopping across from Mask.

"Good thing you have most of the staff out of the building right now, or else this would be a less suitable battleground," Mask said.

"Indeed," Nephrite replied.

The two men circled each other, planning what their first move would be while trying to anticipate what the other's was going to be.

"Tell me, boss man, what are you people after? All these monsters you keep sending out to collect energy. You rarely walk away with anything significant, so there has to be something else up your sleeve," Mask said.

"Beat me and I'll tell you," Nephrite replied.

Mask grinned widely.

"Challenge accepted."

Mask was the first to charge. He drew back his sword to his side, readying a slash across the center. Nephrite followed suit with his pole weapon raised straight up. The ax blade at the end was readied to come down and cleave Mask in twain. It came down at 30° degree angle. Mask shot forward, legs first and slid onto his back on the floor and raked the sword across aiming for Nephrite's stomach. Nephrite was quick and blocked the attack by swing the other end of the pole across, blocking Mask's attack.

Nephrite raised the weapon straight up again and brought the pole down intending to crush Mask's ribcage. Mask rolled out of the way. Nephrite chased after him and this time came at him with the bladed end. Mask rolled away again and the ax cut a deep fissure in the floor. Nephrite effortlessly ripped it back out and tried again. Mask pushed off the ground with his hands and feet, jumping to side just in time as Nephrite carved another jagged fracture into the marble under their feet. His swept the leg, knocking Nephrite over, and then flipped himself up onto his feet. Nephrite did the same and grabbed his halberd again.

Mask circled around him. Nephrite's bladed-pole had a longer reach than his sword, but it was a heavier and clumsier weapon. Nephrite came at him again, swinging high using the center part of the pole for the offensive. Mask blocked, bracing his hands against both the hilt and the top of the blade then lunged in close to take a slice out of his opponent.

Nephrite jumped back and charged again holding his halberd level at about the same level his chest and stomach met with the top of the blade aimed right at Mask. He shot forward with one leg leading into a low stab intended to skewer Mask. Mask married and ran alongside the pole at him again, but Nephrite whipped the pole around into him. Mask blocked the attack, but was pushed away. He stumbled back and Nephrite dashed at him, keeping the pressure on.

He readied another stab maneuver. Mask's raised his sword and brought it down on the pole from above. The blade cut into the floor. Mask stepped onto the pole and leaned on it bringing his sword up his opponent to stick him. Nephrite suddenly released his weapon and punched the flat of Mask's blade off course. Then his other fist caught Mask in the gut. Mask grunted and fell back violently. He clutched his aching midsection, winded. Nephrite laughed as he drew him halberd out of the floor.

"Jadeite got himself beaten by _you_?" Nephrite said mockingly between whoops.

Mask grabbed for his sword, but Nephrite kicked it away and then gave the boy a light kick in the chest, knocking him onto his back. Before Mask could move, Nephrite planted his foot on his torso firmly. He aimed his ax-blade. Mask closed his eyes. For a moment, his fingertips shimmered.

"Goodbye," Nephrite said.

He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He allowed Mask to leave his sight for an instant to get a look at…Mask?! Nephrite laughed at the illusion.

"Give me a break, boy!" Nephrite said with humor. "I already know all about your ability to cast an illusion of yourself to confuse your enemies. This isn't going to fool me."

The illusion raised its sword high and charged. Nephrite sighed and looked down at the pinned vigilante.

"Really, boy, you're really to play this card?"

Nephrite gave the construct one more amused look just as it was entered striking distance. His smile faded as he heard the sword break through the air. The Shitennou barely had enough to block the attack before the very real astral projection's sword struck the pole. Nephrite stumbled back in shock. The instant the big man's boot ceased to apply pressure, Mask turned himself and dove for his sword.

"A Solid Matter Projection? You've already mastered that technique?!" Nephrite gasped.

Mask dropped and rolled, grabbing his sword as he went past and leapt back up, standing.

"Oh, yeah, they're no longer mere illusions, my friend," Mask answered, smiling slyly.

Mask then shrugged.

"Though, I have to admit, I didn't know if it'd actually work. This is the first time I've ever been able to make it last long enough to strike something else," Mask admitted.

Then he recalled the projection to himself and it reformed next to him. Nephrite's eyes narrowed as both Masks charged at him. He readied himself to defend against two foes. One reached Nephrite before the other and he was easily able to block the attack and knock his opponent away. He turned to the other one, but all that Mask did was reach into reach his cape and throw out a small glass jar. It shattered against the floor. Smoke poured out from the broken jar, caking the immediate area. Nephrite backed up away from it swinging his halberd defensively all the way.

One of the Masks attacked him by jumping at him from above. Nephrite rooted himself in place and held the pole above him protectively. Then as soon as it struck, the Mask vanished. By now, the smoke had cleared. Nephrite looked for the remaining Phantom Mask, but he was nowhere in sight no matter where he looked. Nephrite's lip curled up into a snarl. His enraged cry of frustration could be heard all throughout the building and it chilled the blood of all that did.

**A/N: **Sorry this one took a little longer than usual, guys. I've been correcting correcting things out in previous chapters. On top of that, the fights for this little arc were a nightmare to plot out. Also, sorry I had to cut you guys off before we reached the conclusion of Dream Land's nightmare, but this sucker was already well over a whooping 45 PAGES and over 25,000 words by the time I decided to find a good place to leave off for the moment. Don't worry, the rest will be out soon.

Holy carp! 25 Followers and 15 Favorites! Thanks, guys!

And my story's been added to a Community: SMI, which is a spot for Sailor Moon alternate retellings and continuations from where the anime/manga left off. You can find two other stories on there so far: _Sailor Moon Classic: Part 1 Return of the Sailors_, by StarCatTibalt, and _Chaos, Cosmos, Eternity, Destiny, _by shaydoe. Again, thanks guys. Thanks so much!

**A/N: ***= watch?v=QmNTKy8LJiY if you're curious about a halberd looks like. Watch this video.


	18. Chapter 16: REM Stage

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Yeah, with that in mind, you can understand why I chose to split this chapter up. Thanks, as always for the review. I'll not to disappoint with the fights. "Mook Maker", huh? That almost sounds like something out of _Gauntlet Legends_. The main reason I'm giving Phantom Mask the ability to cast astral projections of himself as exactly because I didn't like how the anime pulled the Moonlit Knight out of nowhere.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **I will!

**Suland: **Actually, what Kibate did in _Sailor Moon CS_ with Mask's character was a big inspiration for me.

**Tategami-Ryo: **Thank you very much. That's _precisely_ the emotion I was going for while writing the prologue.

**PeridexisErrant:** And thank you, too.

**Omoshiroi: **I'm alright. It's just the Holiday season getting in the way of writing.

**Chapter 16**

**REM Stage**

Nephrite's enraged cry rang out. It could be heard all throughout the building.

"Boy, he sure is an excitable one," Mask remarked.

He had returned the security room. As soon as he was able to buy himself a distraction, he dashed as quickly and quietly as he could. He sat down at the console of screens and made a quick search through the footage. When he found what he wanted he ejected the tape out of the recorder.

"One man's evidence is another man's closely guarded secret. You won't be learning anything about my Pretty Suited Soldiers today, pal," Mask thought.

He heard groaning coming from the other end of the room. He didn't even have to turn around to know it was the guard coming to. The man sat up blinking off the fuzziness in his vision.

"Whoa, what happened? Oh…ow, my head."

"Damn him! Damn that Phantom Mask!" Nephrite seethed.

He entered to the security room. The guard looked up at him with dull eyes.

"Did anyone come in here?!" Nephrite demanded.

"Uh, I dunno, sir."

Nephrite sneered, but said nothing. He stomped over to console. One look was enough to time him that someone had been in here and messed with the console. He also had a pretty good idea what was taken.

* * *

"So…it's made out of gingerbread?" Moon asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, and it looks like the shingles on the roof are chocolate," Luna mused.

"That reminds me, I haven't been able to eat lunch today," Moon said.

Luna rolled her eyes and gave her annoyed look. Moon shrunk away from it.

"It was…just a thought," she smiled sheepishly.

"Let's just go in," Luna said.

The trail of mushrooms ended at the front door of a single story gingerbread house. Luna and Moon approached and cautiously opened the door. They stepped into battle stances just inside without missing a beat. Inside curtsying was the Dream Princess. The outside was much smaller than the enormous interior which rivaled the Warrior's private training room in scale.

"Congratulations. You found my house. But now I'm afraid I can't let you leave," she said with mock sadness and pouted.

"Cut the crap," Luna said.

"Ooh. So feisty," The Dream Princess said.

She shrugged, shaking her head.

"Very well, then. I suppose I should slip into something a little more comfortable, first," she said.

Then the Dream Princess's head suddenly rolled off her body and across the floor into a corner. Moon screamed and jumped back. Luna stoically stood watching the change begin. The Dream Princess's body floated up into the air and began spinning. The pink dress disintegrated and the flesh of her body fell off her form in clumps of flesh and cloth that flew all around the room. One such clump landed at Moon's feet.

"Oh! EW, EW, EWW-WW-WWW! Why do all these monsters all have to be SO gross?!" Moon wailed.

At last, the truth lying beneath the fleshy disguise was revealed. Its body been had curled up within the human disguise. It unfurled itself and dropped onto its feet on the floor. Its body was colored like red oak with natural patterns ranging from cream with strips of reddish brown. It stood upright like a man, but it had four human legs coming out from its hips, one set in front of the other. Its hip section was like an insect's abdomen. Its legs were almost human if not for the segments in the joints and the bony structure. Where a normal human foot would normally have gone, there was instead a grasshopper-like claw.

Its torso was upright sticking out of the top of the thorax in front. It was built like that of a man's but was longer to allow for six arms. Dark red flesh was incased in a segmented exoskeleton that looked almost exactly like a ribcage that went clear down to the waist. Before it'd uncurled, Moon and Luna could see the back was supported by an exterior spine and even had exterior collar bones and such. From three different parts on either side of the torso were six arms. They were very human except for the bony structure and segments at the joints. The top pair which were placed the same as a regular human's ended in bony five-fingered hands. The middle pair which was just below had three-fingered insect claws. The button pair had scythe blades instead of hands.

Its neck was protected much like its torso was, but smaller ribs supporting its skeletal head, which was square-shaped in the back. The sides of its head and face came together at the front ending in a point. From the top, its head would look triangular. Green hair grew out of it and hung at shoulder length. It had two, large, compound eyes that were blue towards the center and greenish around the edges on the upper sides of its face. She had a human mouth that had insect mandibles on both sides of it. A pair in insect wings unfolded from its back.

"You behold the true form of The Beldam!" It announced.

"Bring it, ugly!" Moon shouted.

"Now Moon, we have to…" Luna started to say, but…

Moon sprinted forward, making Luna gasp at the rash action.

"No! Wait!" Luna cried, reaching out for her.

"I'll get her before she can make any illusions!" Moon thought, jumping high above the Beldam and coming down at her ready to cleave with both blades.

"How rude, calling me ugly," The Beldam huffed.

She spat out more of her mist and that was the last thing Moon saw of the interior of that cabin.

* * *

"Hey, I think we're at the end of the tunnel!" Jupiter happily announced.

"Oof! Hey! Warn me when you're going to stop! I'm tired to running right into your butt!" Mars hissed.

"Keep it down. They might hear you," Jupiter whispered.

"Just keep moving, already."

"Yeesh. I'm going, I'm going."

Jupiter crawled the final stretch of the tunnel and poked her head out the other end. She sighed frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Mars asked.

"The hole doesn't end. It just goes down from here. There's a ladder here we can use."

Jupiter looked up. There was a pair of handles above she could grip while hoisting herself out of the hole. She turned herself over on her back in the hole and gripped them. She drew her legs out and stepped onto the ladder's top rung. Mars looked down. It was pitch black below them. The next rung down gave way when Jupiter stepped onto it. Mars grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling, but Jupiter kept held tightly onto the bars at the top.

"Ack! Don't step on that one, Mars," Jupiter said.

She cautiously lowered herself down. The next rung complained under her boot.

"Oh man, don't tell me this whole ladder's falling apart," Jupiter murmured.

Thankfully, the rest held. It was only a single story trip down to basement level. Jupiter dropped onto the floor. She looked at the new environment before stepping away from the ladder. Mars dropped down behind her. It was too dark to see, so Mars lit a fire in her palm and sent the ball across the room and back. They were in a hall of a very old tunnel.

The flooring here was much older than anything they'd seen so far. It was darkened, cracked, and broken red bricks. The walls were some kind of rusting metal. The hall they were in continued on for about 20 or yards before coming to corner that went left. There were no doors here. They could still hear the wooden clomps of the puppets' feet on the brick flooring. Without a word, they followed the source of the sound allowing it to lead them on.

* * *

"Okay, this is weird. What am I doing back in my bedroom?" Usagi thought apprehensively.

She kicked the covers off and sat up. She looked around. It was indeed her bedroom. Not a single detail was out of place. She looked down at herself. She was in her pink PJs. She tugged on the top, making sure it was, indeed, cloth. Everything seemed right, except…

"Oh, man, did I get knocked out again?!" Usagi groaned. "Oh, man!"

She flopped back on the cushion, groaning more. She must have blown it again.

There was a knocking at the door.

"Usagi, it's time to get up," her mother's voice said.

"Uh…yeah…I-I up!" Usagi called hesitantly.

"Honey, is there something wrong?" her asked from the hallway.

"N-No! I'm fine," the teen called back.

"Okay, Usagi, something's very wrong here. Now think, think, think! …I have to find Luna!"She muttered to herself.

She dashed out of the room and ran down the hall to "Megumi's" room and threw open the door. She went stiff staring into the empty guest room. It sat there exactly as it was before Luna moved in and filled it with her personal effects.

"Wha-wha-no way," Usagi muttered.

She frantically searched the room for her companion.

"Luna," she called softly.

There was no answer. She was standing alone in a rented room with no tenant. Had she left? Had… Usagi remembered the last moments before everything went black. She'd rushed the Beldam and got face-full of whatever was in that smoke the creature breathed. The only explanation was that she lost consciousness again and Luna had to bring her back home before moving out. This would be the second mission in a row she failed. Could Luna be furious with her and have left?

Her mother stopped by the open doorway, looking impatient.

"Usagi! Hurry it up! You'll be late if you dawdle!" she said.

"Y-Yes, mom!"

She'd have to figure out later. When she got back to Joe's Convenience Store, she'd have her answers. The run to school was less intense than usual, because she'd happened to wake up a bit earlier than usual. This was something that seemed to happen more and more these days. When she got to class, Naru, Ami, and Makoto were in their usual seats. Before facing Luna, she decided she's first talk to Naru and Makoto. She settled into the seat of her desk just as class was about to begin. She took out a textbook she'd hidden a manga in. She settled into the latest mess Ranma had gotten himself into. She blinked, staring at the page. It was still there. She then tried rubbing her eyes.

"Wh-what is this?" she asked aloud, surprised.

The kanji on the pages was nothing but a bunch of randomly arranged nonsense well beyond being unreadable.

"_Usagi…. Usagi…"_

Usagi turned from puzzling over the page and looked around. She couldn't pinpoint the source, but that voice sounded like Luna. The feline girl in question was nowhere in sight. When she turned back to the front, Miss Haruna was standing over him with a stern look on her face. She whipped the manga out of the book.

"Miss Tsukino…" she said strictly.

"Hall," Usagi whimpered.

"Now," Miss Haruna ordered.

Usagi sighed in resignation as she held two buckets filled with water. She glanced around again, hoping to see some sign of Luna, but alas. Her thoughts drifted back to the manga pages. Why hadn't the words been legible? It reminded her of something, but she couldn't quite remember.

Her eyes happened across a sign just outside which denoted where to find everything within the school. She'd absently read it many times while standing there in the hall.

"Wait just a danged moment! That, too!?"

She nearly dropped the buckets of water. The sign's kanji was a mess, too!

"Wha-But the top part should sat that the gym in just to the left of the main entr-"

Her thoughts were interrupted when the letters rearranged themselves into the appropriate order she recalled. This time, she _did_ drop the buckets on the floor. She stood there unable to move as the sign corrected itself, line by line.

"What's going on here?" her voice was a breathless whisper.

Regaining some sense of movement, she backed up against the classroom door. Her mind was ablaze with confusion and a little fear. The door opened behind her. With a startled cry she fell back into Miss Haruna.

"Whoa! Hey, what's the big deal, Miss Tsukino?"

Usagi went stiff. It suddenly felt cold.

"_Usagi…get away from her!" _she heard Luna's voice again.

It was as if icy hands were wrapping around her and crushing her in their freezing embrace. She screamed, though it caught in her a throat a few times on the way out. She turned partially around and pushed the teacher away roughly. She took a few stumbling steps back out into the hall. She took several quick, deep breaths as she hugged herself tightly. She looked at her homeroom teacher with tears building up in the corners of her eyes. Miss Haruna put her hands on her hips indignantly while the rest of the class stared at her in astonishment. Even without the lettering going all wrong, Usagi would have known now in her heart that something wasn't right with the world. She didn't know who that was teaching their class, but it _wasn't_ Miss Haruna. She couldn't even be sure she was even standing in the hall of her school right now.

"Miss Tsukino, get back in here! We're going to have a long talk, you and I!" Miss "Haruna" said.

Usagi stopped trembling and glared back at the woman. Haruna seemed to be taken aback by this.

"Who are you?" Usagi demanded firmly.

"What kind of stupid question is that? I'm Haruna Sakurada. Your homeroom teacher, and if you don't get back in here this instant, missy, I'm going to have to call your parents!"

"STOP LYING!" Usagi's voice pierced the air sharply.

"Why you…" Haruna took a step toward her.

"STAY AWAY!"

Usagi backed up against the wall. She held out her open right hand.

"Come to me!" she ordered her weapon.

Nothing happened. Haruna marched towards the girl. Usagi slid along the wall away from her.

"_You already…the palm of your hand,_" Luna's disembodied voice said again, but now it was wavering in and out.

"Come to me! Come to me! COME TO ME! COME TO ME NOW!" each command became more frantic and desperate than the last.

Just as Haruna reached out to grab the girl by the wrist Usagi's out-stretched hand burst into blinding light. Haruna hissed animalistically while shielding her eyes. The light died. Usagi looked at her hand, blinking dumbly. Held tightly in her gauntleted fist was the hilt of her double-bladed sword with the blades extended. She looked down at herself. Other than that one gauntlet of her Warrior form, she was still in her school uniform. Then the sleeve of the uniform began to disintegrate, revealing the chainmail underneath. Soon, the entire shirt vanished, unveiling her plate armor. Her boots and the long flowing skirt all reappeared in place of her shoes and uniform skirt, too. Her mask materialized onto her face.

"Uh, that isn't usually how it works…" she stammered.

She happened to see past Haruna at the door. Makoto was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Usagi…you're Celestial Warrior Moon?" she asked, stunned.

Moon stood there staring at Makoto. The tall girl's reaction registered in the blonde's mind, turning into the final piece of the puzzle completing the picture. Moon stepped away from the wall right up to "Miss Haruna". She backed away, but Moon kept right after her down the hall.

"Now I remember. It happened during a study session," Moon said to her. "My brainiest friend made sure I was paying attention when she explained that we can't read during dreams! That's why the kanji on that sign didn't make sense until I remembered what it was _supposed_ to say! None of this is real!"

She pointed the tip of one of the blades right at "Haruna", pressing it against the end of her nose.

"And you aren't the real Miss Haruna."

"How could you possible prove that?!" the other person demanded.

Moon replied by impaling her through the stomach on the blade.

"Because I'd never do that to the real Miss Haruna…Miss Beldam!"

The visage of Miss Haruna faded out, replaced by The Beldam. She pushed the Warrior away and dislodged herself from the blade. She clutched her bleeding stomach, hissing in pain.

"Wretched brat! I didn't think you'd just stick me so quickly!" she howled.

The illusion of the school fell away like autumn leaves and they were in the Beldam's lair again. Usagi glanced over at Luna, who was crouched on the ground with her fists pressed against a magic circle she'd written in chalk on the floor. She was caked in sweat from putting all her energy into weakening the Beldam's illusion. She relaxed her stance on the floor.

"Ah…good to see your back in the land of the waking, stupid girl," Luna said.

"Don't start, tabby!" Moon shot back.

"Tabby!?" Luna objected huffily, and seemed to puff up just like a cat.

Moon faced The Beldam again, which slowly circled around her. Moon raised her blades and swept one down shredding off a section of her skirt along the button. It stuck to the blade. She folded and wrapped the strip of fabric over her nose and mouth tying it tightly against the back of her head.

"Clever, but will it work?" The Beldam asked.

"One way to find out," Moon answered, lowering into a battle stance.

Her stance was broad and low with one foot out front pointed towards her opponent. The back foot was facing outwards. Her body was turned partially away from The Beldam with the double-bladed sword held vertically close. Her hands gripped her hilt tightly.

"Let her make the first move, but I need to provoke her first," Moon mind worked towards some semblance of a plan.

In her peripherals, she saw Luna get and start towards them.

"You rest a minute. I can handle this _bug_ until you've recovered," Moon called over without taking her eyes off her opponent.

"Bug? Bug?! How dare you, insolent child! I _am _The Beldam! I have stalked your kind for centuries, feeding on your children in the darkest depths of the night!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you and every other monster I've had to put down since starting this whole Warrior business. Has anyone ever told you guys just how sick you all are picking on kids? Let's just get this over with, small fry!"

The Beldam snarled.

"That's it. You asked for it," The Beldam said.

Her wings fluttered and elevated her up into the air. She curled her body up drawing her legs tightly against her body. A long, smooth stinger like a queen bee's came out just behind her rear set of legs.

"Oh, boy," Moon drawled out in a low tone.

The Beldam dived in to attack putting Moon on the defensive. It was almost upon her. Moon tensed to parry the stinger and those lower arms with their blades. Just as she was began to swing, a slit opened up just above the creatue's stinger and out shot wet, sticky webbing which coated the sword.

"BLEH!" A stunned Moon cried.

The Beldam flew past, wrenching the weapon from Moon's grip before coming back for the kill. Moon leaped back, taking several jumping steps, but the Beldam kept right up with her. Moon held up her arms to shield her against the coming blows.

They heard the pounding of feet coming from the side. Luna jumped forward and used her spear to vault through the air. Both her feet impacted into the side of the insect-like fairy. The Beldam spun out in midair, but righted herself. Luna cut the webbing holding Moon's sword and then threw her spear at the monster. The Beldam flew up just in time to avoid getting stuck by the dart.

"Come!" Moon called.

The sword weaved around Luna and returned to its master.

"Any other surprises?" Moon asked.

"A lady never reveals her secrets," The Beldam replied.

"You're no lady," Moon and Luna said derisively.

The Beldam growled at them and took a dive. She shot out more of the red mist, but Moon was quick to retreat from the coming cloud, as was Luna. They jumped clear of it and the mist was already clearing. Moon looked around. She was still in the interior of the gingerbread house. She turned to face her opponent. The Beldam had landed and was running at her. Moon looked around for Luna, but did not see her companion anywhere. She dodged the first strike from the fairy's button set of arms.

"What'd you do with Luna?!" she demanded.

"Beat me and I'll tell you!"

"Fine!"

Moon ran at The Beldam and swung one of her crescent moon blades.

Luna blocked one of the scythe blades of the beast and counterattacked with the other end of her spear before kicking at it. It blocked with one of its human-like hands of the top pair before jumping back. She looked around again.

"Damn it, where did Warrior Moon go?" she thought.

She turned her center vision back to the beast.

"Huh?" she uttered, noticing something odd.

She looked at the way the button pair of The Beldam's arms moved. Their scythe blades moved together. As one tilted and moved upwards, the other went down, almost…almost the way Moon's own blades would have to move, connected by their center hilt.

It rushed her again, those button arms still moved as thought they were one weapon. As the left blade positioned itself upward, the other followed after it staying at all times right next it to. She noticed the other arms remained out of the way and did not prepare for attack either.

Luna was fast forming an idea of what was really going, but she decided to test it first. The Beldam's blades swept across evenly, but Luna blocked both of them. At all times, she paid special attention to how they moved. First arm would come down followed by the other, not both at the same time as they had before. Finally, Luna disengaged her opponent and put some distance between them. Now she understood. She concentrated on sensing the area around them. Where was the real Beldam?

Moon paused, trying to decide what the Beldam was up now. It had broke off their blow and then ran away. Now it just stood there looking from side to side while keeping her in its peripherals. She needed to decide quickly whether to charge her or wait. The Beldam suddenly turned away from her. Moon remembered the stinger, so she stayed back.

Luna had found the real enemy! She drew back her fauchard spear and aimed at it a particular spot in the room.

"**Mjölnir!" **Luna shouted.

Her spear sparked and glowed with magical energy. It impacted on an invisible spot somewhere above them. That entire part of the room exploded into light. They shielded her eyes.

"Why is the ceiling glowing?" Moon thought.

Reality itself bent into a wave for a moment. The Beldam bent and rippled like the surface of water as the illusion broke unveiling Luna. The light dimmed as the curtain rolled back above, too, revealing that Beldam hovering high above. The spear fell back towards the ground, having successfully pierced the illusions. Moon realized what'd happened at once and didn't hesitate. She leaped up, training her blades at the creature.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

The finisher careened towards its mark. The Beldam cursed and fluttered to the side just in the nick of time. The blades harmlessly flew past and through the roof. But Moon focused, training her vision on The Beldam.

"RETURN!"

The blades burst from the ceiling just overhead of the fairy. She tried to dodge again, but it happened too quickly for her to completely avoid them. The spinning cut past, taking her right arms and her right wing with them. The fae howled in agony from the severing of limbs and the violent discharge of energy that burned that entire side of her. With but one wing, she could not remain airborne. The Beldam through the searing pain was over-taken by fear as she fell to the floor, crashing into it hard.

Moon walked up beside Luna.

"If you could just break her illusions before, why didn't you just break the one over me from earlier?" Moon asked.

"That was an illusion over your mind lulling you into a dream-like state and encompassed all four senses. This one just affected our vision, but we were thankfully quick to partially protect ourselves," Luna answered.

The Beldam lied curled up, tightly holding her burned right side. Luna and Moon's shadows fell over her. She looked up at them and scowled.

"You can forget about questioning me. I'd rather go through any device you have in store for me than sell out The Dark Kingdom. You know what measures they take. Just get on with it and be on your way," she growled.

"If that's how you feel about it," Luna said evenly.

Moon and Luna began to strike, but everything happened even faster than their strokes could fall. The floor collapsed into dust, sending all into the black abyss below. Luna pulled the Recall Stone from her pocket.

"Grab onto me!" she ordered Moon.

The girl reached out and grabbed hold of Luna. The stone began to transport them. Something struck Moon in the dark. Her grip broke as Luna was pulled being away, back to the safety of the human world.

"Oh, no! No! No! No! Moon, where are you?! Grab me again! Usa-!"

She suddenly landed on the cold floor of the cellar. She sat up and looked around. She was alone. Warrior Moon had been left behind with The Beldam. Know she had to hurry.

"Luna," a voice behind her spoke.

Luna whirled around and trained her spear on whoever it was. Standing over her was Phantom Mask with his hawk perched on his shoulder.

"Where are the Celestial Warriors?" he demanded.

* * *

"Okay, is this a creepy basement, or an old palace?" Jupiter asked, putting a hand on her hip.

They had just entered a large chamber with pillars and a completely different make-up than the steel and red brick trappings they'd seen so far. It was all stone. Runes lined the floor, walls, ceiling, and pillars. They entered through a hall that came in at the middle of the West wall of the chamber. The open space was empty aside from the two girls. At the north end of the east wall, stairs led up. There was a decent sized crack in the wall in the southeast corner of the room. In contrast to the old fashioned architecture, florescent lights dimly lit the room overhead.

Mars leaned in to whisper in Jupiter's ear.

"We're close. There's something big nearby," she said.

"Where is it?" Jupiter whispered back.

Mars slowly walked towards the center of the chamber. She closed her eyes and raised her right hand in meditation. In the darkness, she saw an aura. She pointed herself towards it and opened her eyes. She was facing the crack at the southeast corner of the room.

"There?" Jupiter asked, pointing at it.

"Yes."

They cautiously approached it. It was about a foot wide on closer inspection, just big enough for those nasty marionettes to fit through. Jupiter looked inside as well as she could. After a moment she suddenly backed away from it with her hand clapped over her mouth. She retched several times while backing away from it, but kept the contents of her stomach down.

"What?" Mars asked.

The raven put her own face to the crack peering through it. Her own features twisted in revulsion. Inside was a small, sealed off room. The puppets had gathered there and seemed to be bowed before a large object that hung from the ceiling in the back. The _thing_ hanging there was an enormous, bulbous sack of flesh with a slit near the bottom that was all too familiar for the girls. The sack itself was as tall as a full grown man and just as wide as it was tall.

Mars's eyes widened in horror as something pushed itself out through the slit pushing the lips of the opening apart and stretching them out wide. It…it was a head, followed by the body. The hulking mass of pink flesh quivered for a moment as it, well, birthed the small figure onto the floor. It landed with a loud thud and the little thing stood. It was a small humanoid creature covered in some kind of slime.

The little creature looked just like an illustration of an imp Mars had once seen in a children's book. The slime covering the imp moved, coursing around it and began to absorb into its host. As the slime began to soak into the imp, it changed from its original form. Wood replaced flesh and it became another marionette. This one looked like a pilgrim that had sailed over to America on the Mayflower. Mars stepped away from the crack, her mouth tightly clamped shut to hold back the nausea. She swallowed hard and then turned to Jupiter when she dared try to speak again.

"There's some kind of…nest, or imp queen, or something," Mars whispered.

"It's gross, whatever it is, but it's…_making _reinforcements. We have to take it out," Jupiter breathed the words voicelessly.

"No argument there."

"We'll have to knock down the wall. That'll keep the little nasties surprised for a few seconds, at least," Jupiter said.

"Right. If we want to do this right, we'll have to make two consecutive joint attacks. One to blast the wall and one blast for that thing, I hope one will do it."

"If one doesn't, we'll just have to tear it apart the old-fashioned way."

Jupiter flexed a bicep to punctuate the point.

"That'd mean having to _touch_ it!" Mars hissed, appalled at the thought.

"Don't make me think about that! So are we doing this or not?"

Jupiter got behind Mars gripping her wrists. Mars notched an arrow and took aim. Jupiter's power flowed through her wrists into bow and into the arrow. A great dart of fire and lightning was ready to be set loose. Mars concentrated on making a smaller blast than before so hopefully the ceiling wouldn't come down on their heads.

"Burst," Mars said softly.

She fired the shot aiming right next to the crack. The arrow exploded right between the sides of the crack. It filled the walled-off room of the puppet maker with flying stone, lightning, and fire. The high-pitched screams of the imps could be heard. Mars and Jupiter shielded themselves from the debris that came out at them. They wasted no time in readying the next shot. A terrible roar pierced the air and both girls found themselves having to clap their hands over their ears.

"What IS _that_?" Jupiter cried.

"What?"

Two humungous insect legs burst through the wall on either side of the new gaping hole in the wall and an entire section of ceiling and more of the wall was broken off. Both Warriors cried out and turned tail in headlong retreat. The whole room was shaken by the force of whatever they had just angered. Chunks of ceiling and pillars even began to fall. The girls dodged running straight for the iron-roofed fall they had come from and threw themselves in. They landed flat on their stomachs. They covered their heads with their hands just in case. After no more of the ceiling came down on them, they dared to slowly look at one another with wide eyes.

They turned themselves over onto their backs and sat up, staring into the partially wrecked chamber. Inside, they could see the massive sack of flesh had now moved out into the room. They could see the sack was attached to a body, which had six massive insect legs coming out of the sides. The entire body was the same pink-fleshy color as its button. The thing started to turn around to face its attackers, now having successfully backed out of the hidden passage it had nestled itself in to birth.

"So it wasn't just a sack hanging from the ceiling?!" Mars exclaimed.

"Ya think?!"

Now that they had a sidelong look at it they could see it had a long, thin body. This was in direct contrast to its massive posterior. The head did not seem to have much of a neck so much as a segment in its exoskeleton that allowed a little movement from side to side. Its head also did not seem to have eyes. What it _did_ have was two long tentacles that came out of the sides at the top. Its gaping maw had four jagged mandibles for chewing its prey. Two were set on the sides of its mouth and the while two were on the underside.

"_That _was birthing the evil muppets?!" Jupiter exclaimed.

"Is it just me, or are these things just getting uglier?" Mars asked.

It heard them and turned to face them fully. The Warriors leapt to their feet. They readied themselves, but then it raised both its hind legs and began rubbing them together. The sound it made was deafening, like the noise of crickets amplified a thousand fold. The girls both plugged their ears, but the sound was so forceful that their balance was thrown off and they stumbled. Mars dropped her bow onto the ground and fell onto her knees. She gritted her teeth to suppress an anguished scream. Jupiter wobbled where she stood, her entire upper body writhing from the pain pounding in her head. The imp queen stopped to charge them while they were still disoriented. Mars looked up in time to see it reach into the hall.

"Ju-Jupiter!" she managed to cry.

It hooked Jupiter and dragged her out into the chamber. The girl moaned and grunted as she rolled over the floor. It reached down with one its face tentacles and grabbed her. It pulled her in close to its mouth. It mandibles closed in to chew her up.

Jupiter gripped one of those mandibles in both hands and unleashed an electrical current directly into its face! The imp queen howled and recoiled. As its entire body jerked, it released Jupiter dumping her onto the floor roughly. The girl shook her head, trying to shake off the dizziness.

She looked up at the insectoid standing over her. It raised a giant leg to stomp on her. She started crawling backwards away from it. A fire arrow shot past her at the beast, but it missed instead impacting the roof. The collision made the arrow burst and another chunk of ceiling came down and struck the imp queen on the back. It clicked and buzzed in response as it was bore to ground by the slab of rock. Jupiter saw the thing fall over next to her and smiled. She got up and looked back at Mars, who grinned back. They had a plan, a wonderful, horrible plan. Jupiter crouched down low and crossed her arms over her chest with the fists held tightly pressed against her shoulders. Her chin rested where the arms crossed. The electricity surged through her gauntlets and boots. Mars took aim with her bow.

Then Jupiter stood up spreading her limps wide like an eagle's shooting lightning in all directions around the room while fire arrows shot one after the other in all directions. The lightning and fire shattered the pillars and struck the walls and ceiling blasting off huge chunks. Everything began to shake as the chamber caved in.

Jupiter dashed for the exit, barely avoiding the rock falling loose. The imp queen tried to give chase, but a huge slab of ceiling crashed down on her, crushing her. Her bodily fluids splattered all over and she gave one final death howl. Mars shielded her eyes as the whole thing came down. She heard the imp queen's scream before dust and debris blasted into the hallway. When she dared lower her arms, she saw only a layer of dust for a few moments. She coughed after taking a breath of it in.

"Jupiter…?" she called.

"I'm here."

Mars let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness."

Mars squinted to see through the settling dust and she could just make out her companion's outline as she approached. She heard Jupiter making some groaning noises as she walked.

"Hey, are you okay-Oh, gross! How'd you get slimed?!" Mars exclaimed.

Jupiter was covered head-to-foot in the slime of the imp queen's inwards. She made several whining noises as she desperately tried wiping it off.

"THIS IS WHY I HATE BUGS!" Jupiter cried.

She tried shaking it off, causing Mars to recoil from almost getting some of it on her.

"Hey, watch who you get that gunk on!" Mars cried.

"Oh, man! It's in my hair, too! It's in my haaaaaairrr!" Jupiter whined pathetically.

She looked at Mars miserably.

"Uh, let's just find a way out of here and hope that the tunnel didn't collapse, too," Mars said.

* * *

Moon stood before the entrance of a cave. Her glowing blades shined a ways in. This was what she guessed would be the next hiding place of The Beldam, as she hadn't seen a hint of her back in the catacombs she'd landed in. Thankfully, there was no roofing over the walls so Moon had just been able to leap over it until she found an exit.

She slowly and unwillingly looked back at the catacombs right behind her. She dared not stare at the walls of it straight on. Her eyes turned to the flooring and she noticed a skull lying upon the ground.

"It must have fallen out of the wall," Moon thought.

She dared to glance up to her right. Sure enough, among the skulls and femurs neatly mixed into the clay in rows sticking out of the catacomb's walls, there was a hollow patch where a skull had long ago come loose and fell from its place among its kindred.

She quickly turned away from the black, hollow eyes of the gaunt faces. They seemed to stare at her…no. They seemed to stare right _into _her. She could almost feel the empty eyes on her, beseeching for release from this desecration of their mortal coils.*

Of course, there was more than just that. Moon had beheld other grotesque works since landing in The Beldam's catacombs and personal museum. There were sculptures in the shapes of giant pots, dragons, a great chandelier, even some armies that stood at attention, and they had one thing in common. The sums of their parts were the remains of the poor souls The Beldam had collected over the years eternally denied their final rites.*

Moon looked into the hole she was about to walk into. Somehow, this dark world that'd been lying just under that pretty gingerbread house seemed to grow even darker before it. She shook from fright where she stood. The floodgates for tears threatened to break.

"Luna…Mask…Mars and Jupiter…" she whimpered.

She was alone in this horrible place with the monster that had shaped and molded it. She clutched her sword close to her almost like a small child would a teddy bear or security blanket. She began to hyperventilate. She fought off the first pangs of panic.

"Luna's coming for me, Luna's coming for me, Luna's coming for me, Luna's coming for me," Moon chanted like it was a prayer.

"I just have to hold out long enough for Luna to find me…if she finds me…she'll come back this way…"

Then a thought occurred to her.

"She's as alone as I am right now."

She wiped away her tears and steeled herself again. A firm expression crossed her features. Her stomach settled again as she regained her nerve. No time for that! She had a friend she knew would be coming for her down into this grisly place. Until they found each other again, Luna would be in the same position as her. For that reason, Moon knew she had to stay strong.

She trudged towards the cave hole, taking in a deep breath.

"Ugh! That smell! It's like death!" she thought.

Thankfully, the rag still covered her face. She felt it to make sure it was still secure. That she'd ever been excited to meet The Dream Princess seemed so long ago. The thought that she'd run right up to and spoken with the "Princess" further soured her mood. By now, the stench was a sickly odor of decay. It was as if filth unnamable was piled up in the dark within.

"It's just like the smell of The Face Taker's lair," Moon realized with increasing horror.

Breathing through her mouth, she passed in. If not for the glowing blades of her sword, she would have been submerged in total dense black. The tunnel wasn't overly large. It was about ten feet up and twelve across, total. She paused spotting some webbing sticking to the wall.

"The Beldam's web. I'm in the right place, alright," she thought.

Her footsteps echoed even though she tried to be silent. Every now and then, she'd hear the air move like something was moving in the dark not far off. In fact, she fully expected that she had an unwelcome watcher following her every movement. She came to her first crossroads eventually. There was an opening in the path leading right. She passed right by it. After that, she passed three or four more tunnels entrances and ignored them all as well. Just how much more of this was she going to have to put up with before The Beldam just attacked her? The fairy had to know that she knew it was there.

As she made more progress more and more web covered the walls and even began to spill onto the floor. Soon, Moon was stepping around and over it. She thanked good fortune that she hadn't seen any sacks of web dangling from the ceiling yet. The tunnel forked. Having not the slightest idea what to do, she arbitrarily picked the left route. She had a feeling that there might not be a correct, non-fatal choice to make, anyway.

She had not gone more than a few yards when she heard something behind her. She spun around with her sword out in front protectively. She saw nothing, but she knew better than to think that was no enemy coming up from the main tunnel just because she couldn't see them yet. She heard it again, then, closer than before. It was the sound of pounding limbs against rock and earth coming her way. It echoed almost painfully through the cave.

She dug her boots into the earth, setting herself firmly in place. Closer and closer, they came. Until the sounds were so close that she knew the enemy was mere yards away, and yet…

"Shouldn't I be able to see her by time?" Moon thought frantically.

Then something occurred to her.

"Wait a minute. She's just like a bug, which means…"

She heard something rustle above her. Without another thought, she dived low, landing on her hands. Through the corner of her eyes, she saw the fairy's stinger come down where she'd just been standing. She twisted herself around as she slid across the floor. She narrowed her eyes. Certainly enough, The Beldam has been sticking the ceiling. The Beldam smiled at her and crawled up into a hole in the ceiling. Moon sneered up at it. She'd remember to watch from above now.

Moon knew she could jump up to go after the fairy and even considered doing so, but it was narrow and she'd have very little mobility in there. It was best to let her quarry go for the moment. Besides, she'd seen that The Beldam had regenerated her lost limbs, which would further complicate things in such a narrow battleground. She continued past it. Like before, she intended to let the fight come to her now that she knew how her enemy intended to attack.

* * *

"Well this is new," Luna said.

In place of the gingerbread house was big gaping hole in the ground. The mushrooms still led right up to it. Mask walked to the edge of the hole and nudged a rock over the side with his foot.

"One…two…three…four…five…six…" Clink!

"The way is down isn't too far," Mask said.

He turned from the hole. His eyes fell on a big tree nearby. Yes, that'd serve their purpose well enough. He reached to his belt and unhooked some utility rope he's snagged earlier. He hooked one end around the tree and dropped the rest down the hole. His hawk left his shoulder and drifted down into the darkness below. Luna stood next to the hole with her hands cupped together like they held water. A glowing white orb materialized in her cupped palms. She released it. It fell into the dark lighting the way. Below was kind of labyrinth. The rope came down right on top of one of the walls. The orbs floated a few feet over where Mask and Luna would land.

They climbed down and dropped onto the mound. When Mask landed his feet crouched something. He looked down and stood up quickly the minute he realized what he was standing on. The same happened with Luna.

"Ghastly," Mask remarked. "So this is how The Beldam passes the time with the given 'resources'."

"I'm afraid so," Luna replied.

Mask's hawk circled over them before flying off and disappearing into the darkness.

"Where's he off to?" Luna asked.

"To find a good place to attack from," Mask replied.

Luna nodded and began chanting up some more of those glowing orbs. Eight more materialized.

"Isn't this like shouting "Hey, looking at me! I'm a target!"?" Masked asked.

"Yes."

Luna out-stretched her arms and they scattered all around the two lighting up different parts of the catacombs as they went. Luna circled them around and gradually sent them farther and farther out. Then some of them came to solid wall several yards out and one just so happened to pass by a cave opening.

"There!" Luna said. "They'll have gone that way. The silly girl's method of lighting the way might not be as refined as my own, but I know she'd have found it."

"Then let's go!" Mask said.

They ran on top the wall and whenever they came to a gap they jumped it.

* * *

Moon raised her sword up focusing on brightening her light source. The entire chamber she found herself in came into view. It was bigger than the rest of the tunnels. The walls were a good thirty feet up and it had to be at least as wide as the basketball court out back of her school. She allowed the light to dim again. She'd make her stand her, she decided. There were only two passages. One ahead and the one she'd come from, and many, many holes in the ceiling and a big crack in the floor in the corner.

She turned about slowly in place keeping a sharp eye out. The Beldam would come and she wasn't going to give her a choice in battlegrounds. Silence fell as Moon stood there. She trained her ears to catch any sound, but there was nothing aside from a slight echo of her own breathing. She checked the cloth over her mouth and nose one more time glancing up at the holes in the ceiling, expecting to see The Beldam's clustered eyes gleaming down at her. While she was looking up at the ceiling, red mist poured out of the crack in the floor. Moon's head whipped around. She leapt away from it.

"Did I breathe any in? I can't tell…I…" she thought.

The world around her grew blindly dark. She could just see the blades glowing through it. Her brows twitched as she tried to fight off the fear from just having her sight taken from her. She kept her breathing quiet as she could while listening for any sign of The Beldam.

A skittering on her left. She spun around swinging her blade. She sprayed energy out in waves. She stopped and listened again. She'd hit…something, but what? She could hear chunks of wall come loose and fall onto the floor of the cave. The loud noises drowned everything else out while they settled.

"Losing your nerve?" The Beldam's voice asked right in her ear.

Moon screamed and spun around swinging the blades wildly. Beldam leaped back and charged in again with her scythe forearms raised. Moon heard the movements and knew she had one chance. Instead of trying to dodge or block the incoming attack, Moon just burst forward right at where she heard the fairy coming in with a blade aimed straight ahead.

She caught The Beldam off guard and they collided. Moon's blade went into her side. As The Beldam's concentration broke, Moon's vision cleared again. She was face to face with the creature she was goring. The Beldam gasped and wheezed from the pain of the blade in his stomach, gripping Moon by the arms desperately.

Moon released her and brought the other blade up and around to slice her from above. The Beldam spit more mist out at her. This time, Moon covered her eyes with an arm and held her breath while leaping back. When she landed, she lowered her arm. She didn't appear to be trapped in some illusion as she could see she was still in the cavern, but her quarry was nowhere in sight.

She started to turn around. Web impacted against her from behind powerfully and knocked her to the floor. It covered her back, legs, and arms effectively pinning her to the ground. Moon grunted and struggled against the sticky bonds. She stopped when something dropped directly over her. She looked up through the corner of her eye at The Beldam. She saw what was about to happen. The Beldam's scythe forearms were raised and aimed right at where her neck connected to the rest of her body. She let out pitiful little cry and shut her eyes tightly again, not wishing to see the end come.

"Yee-ah!"

The Beldam turned to see what had made that noise. Whistling through the air right at her was a spear. She jumped up to avoid it, but it still managed to cut her back right passing by. She grunted painfully and jumped up onto the ceiling. Below, Luna summoned her weapon back.

Mask rushed to Moon's side. With a couple of quick slices, she was freed from the web. She shot up to her feet and attempted to pull the gunk off of her. She looked up and could see that the wounds in the Beldam's torso had not vanished, but had already closed up. She turned to Mask.

"Thanks!" she said breathlessly.

"Damn you! Damn you all!" The Beldam shrieked. "You were quicker in finding her than I thought you would have been!"

She looked from enemy to enemy as they gathered across from her. They were just far apart enough that covering them all in web would be difficult. Moon stood in the middle flanked on either side by Luna and Phantom Mask. They were waiting for her to make her first move.

She sensed strong raw magical energy within Mask, but she could also feel that it was largely untapped and unrefined. As for Luna, she was in the middle of quietly chanting another spell and even had one hand held straight over her face in preparation. She had the weakest energies, but she sensed that the currents flowed in deliberately charted veins throughout her body for quick access. The strongest, of course, was the Celestial Warrior.

"Well, come on then. Make your move. You're not getting any younger," Mask taunted.

The Beldam sneered. Ooh, how that might have really gotten under the skin of lesser monsters, but she was not about to be goaded into giving up the high ground by some pup who fancied himself a crusader of the night. She scaled the wall quickly to disappear into one of the ceiling's many holes.

"Stop her!" Moon shouted.

She readied her sword for another throw. The Beldam saw it coming and nimbly skittered along the wall out of its path. She heard the double sword clang against the wall behind her. Instinctively, she jumped up higher anticipating a trick like before. Sure enough, she heard the blades grind against the cave wall underneath her again. She was right at the mouth of one of the many openings now. She went in

"Oh, no! NO! NOOO!" Moon screamed in dismay.

"It's alright, she'll come back for another round, and this time we have three pairs of eyes to watch for her with," Mask said, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Then he held the hilt of his sword up over his face with the blade pointing down. He rested his right hand of the flat of the blade, which faced his body and began to channel energy into it. The blade glowed a bright blue as he readied another technique.

They heard a loud scream from above. They all looked where the Beldam had disappeared. She fell out of the hole, catching herself roughly a quarter of the way down the wall. She was clutching a hand over one of her eyes-clusters. Blood dripped from between her fingers.

"AAAURGH! My eyes! You wicked, wicked bird! You took my eyes!" The Beldam wailed.

Mask's hawk glided down from the hole, letting out a loud call. It flew down towards it master. Mask flipped his blade over and slashed it across in front like he was cutting an enemy. A wave of blue energy shot out and struck The Beldam in the back. It drew no blood, but it dislodged her from the wall. The Beldam spread her wings and caught herself in mid fall and started to fly away. Oh, but Luna had finished conjuring her spell. She pointed her index and middle fingers towards the creature.

"FREEZE!" Luna ordered.

The Beldam's body went stiff. She couldn't even open her mouth to cry out as she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Moon ran straight for her downed and enemy and jumped high passing over her. Just as she was directly over The Beldam, she raised her blades one final time.

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

"_No…no…not yet…not yet!_" The Beldam's mind whirled seconds before she was struck.

The fairy broke free of the spell as she was enveloped in the burning finisher. Her mouth opened to scream as her body was cut asunder from her right shoulder to her let hip. The purifying powers rejected her and burned her away leaving only ash in their wake as her body exploded into flame-like sparks. Moon's blade returned to her. The light of the finishing move died. The Beldam was no more.

Moon sunk to her knees, but propped herself upright with her sword. She tiredly leaned on it while releasing a long sigh of relief. She was knocked back as the entire cave began to shake. Large portions of ceiling came loose and fell towards them. Moon saw one was about to smash and there was no time to move. She cried out holding her sword up to ward it off. Something slammed into her from the side and sent her rolling out of the way. The rock smashed into the dirt right next to her. She looked over and saw it was Phantom Mask that had saved her. His hawk landed on his shoulder again.

Luna appeared to their side holding up the Recall Stone.

"Let's get out of here. Everyone hold on and DON'T let go!" she ordered.

They both gripped hold of Luna's arms as the Recall Stone activated. Everything went pitch black for a few seconds. In seconds, they were in the cellar. Luna looked over at the mushroom circle. The fungi withered and turned to dust on the spot.

"What…just happened?" Moon asked cautiously.

"Without The Beldam to maintain the world she'd made, it began to implode. That's how you know when you've slain it," Luna answered, standing up.

Mask got up and held out a hand to Moon. She looked up at him for a moment before accepting it. He pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you both," Moon said. "I would've died without your help."

"Think nothing of it," Mask said. "But…"

He reached into his shirt pulling out the security tape and handed it to Moon.

"What is this?" Moon asked.

She looked at Phantom Mask curiously.

"_That_ is security footage of you and the other two Warriors transforming in the main entrance of the theatre. It hadn't been enhanced enough to see who you were, but you're lucky I broke in and took it before Nephrite had the chance. You need to be more careful from now on. Never forget that the enemy is always watching. Now I bid you both adieu," he said.

He disappeared into the shadows once more.

"Wa-wait! How did you know where to find us?" she called.

Luna laid a hand on Moon's shoulder.

"Forget it. Come on, let's get out of here and meet up with Jupiter and Mars again. They may need backup, depending on what kind of resistance they ran into," she said.

"Right."

* * *

A hatch in the floor lifted up. Jupiter climbed out up her waist and looked around.

"Hey, Mars, we're out!" Jupiter cried excitedly.

"Good! Where are we?" Mars shouted from below.

"Some kind of shed. I don't think we're back in the theatre," Jupiter answered.

She hoisted herself out following quickly by Mars. Their new environ wasn't very large. About ten feet from front to back and twenty across, it was mostly filled with tools which were along the back wall. The rest was rows of long wooden boards lining the walls. Jupiter went over to the door. Of course it was locked, so she braced herself against the frame and kicked it until the latch broke and it flew open. When they stepped out they could see they weren't far from the theatre. It was within easy walking distance about fifteen yards out. The shed was in a secluded spot behind a funhouse.

A fire truck was out front along with police squad cars and transporter vehicles. A police barricade surrounded the entire building. It looked like the whole park was emptying out. From where they hid, Jupiter and Mars could see firemen and emergency workers hauling out the glass coffins the Missing had been encased in and were loading them into the back of the transport vehicles.

"Well, the build's still standing," Mars said.

"Hey, try reporting to Luna again," Jupiter said.

"On it."

Mars took out her cell and dialed.

"Hey, it's actually getting through this time," she said happily.

It rang about three times before someone picked up.

"This is Luna."

"Hello, listen, Jupiter and I ended up outside of the theatre, but we're not far off. We found the missing people. They were put into some kind of coma like the girls on the Doom Bus. They were in glass coffins in storage lockers in the back yard of the theatre, but it looks like the police found them now. The fire department is here now, too. Oh. Well, the fire department's here because Jupiter and I…kinda…set the building on fire. Ack! You don't have to yell at me, you know! _Yes_, we have a good excuse! We were fighting evil wooden puppets! Well, they were deadlier than they looked. Hmm? Oh. Alright."

Mars hung up and turned to Jupiter.

"She wants us to find some place we can change back and then go find Naru and Ami," Mars explained.

* * *

"We're pretty much done here. The last of the comatose persons has been loaded up and ready for transport," a police officer said.

"Good. You have the address I want them sent to?" Artemis replied.

"Yes, sir, we're just waiting for your order," the officer said.

"Go," Artemis ordered.

As the transporters began to drive away, Artemis looked back at the Dream Land Theatre. When he'd gotten the dispatch that there was a fire at the latest mission site he'd feared the worse. Instead, all they found was a fire that was largely taken care of by a damaged sprinkler system. Neither Luna nor the girls were anywhere in sight, so he hoped that meant they were okay. The building itself was completely empty. They hadn't found so much a single, solitary employee working in the theatre. No one was even waiting for them out front, which was both odd and very disquieting.

"_DING! DING! DING!"_

It was his cell. Artemis put some distance between himself and the crew before answering.

"Luna?" he asked.

"Are you handling things out front?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. The missing people are their way to one of our facilities for treatment. I thought it might be a bit too much publicity for one day to have Mars take care of it right now," he said.

"Good idea," Luna replied.

"Speaking of you girls… Where are you? We went in and the place was completely empty," he asked.

"Well, we split up. Usagi and I are in the basement on our way out. Makoto and Rei should be up top disappearing into the crowd."

"Understood. I'll make sure you and the girl can do the same."

With that, he hung up.

* * *

Nephrite sat working away at the footage of the park. The one surefire evidence of the Warriors' identities had been taken before he had the chance to get the images enhanced and analyzed, so now he and the guard worked tirelessly to find something else.

"Sir, do we really have to go through it all?"

"**Yes**, there must be some clue concerning their identities in these tapes," Nephrite said irately.

Another guard entered the room.

"Sir, around fifty missing persons have just been found locked in the theatre. The police are here to see you," the guard said.

"Tell them I'm not here!" Nephrite shouted angrily.

He turned back to the footage.

"Sir, they already know you're here," the guard said.

Nephrite slammed both fists against the desk and turned around angrily.

"I. Don't. Care. Get RID of them, anyway!" he growled.

* * *

"The fire broke out while you were watching the show?!" Ami gasped.

"Yep. They had to rush us out, and then…keep us all to get our testimonies," Usagi explained.

Usagi, Makoto, and Rei sat slumped exhausted on a bench across from the closed park while Naru and Ami leaned with their elbows resting on the back of it. Luna was getting the car.

"Well, today was a bust," Makoto muttered. "So, wanna try this again, but someplace else?"

"I'm all for it," Naru said. "But, I'm pretty much done today. I'm going home."

The others had to agree with that sentiment.

* * *

Nephrite glanced at the big central screen as they went through another tape. He was about to turn away, but then he saw something.

"Well? What is this?" Nephrite said.

He rewound the tape and paused on the time he spotted it. He turned his attention to the keyboard. He set the coordinates and increased the magnification of the image zeroing in on one particular section of it. Then he did it again, and again, until he was close up on what he wanted to see. Then he increased the pixel rate. The image cleared revealing the person. A smile crawled over Nephrite's face, slowly creeping up until his lips were so broadly turned up that one might think his face was on the verge of tearing itself apart.

"Well now. That's interesting. _That_ is very interesting," he said with a hum.

**A/N: **Sorry to keep you guys waiting for this one for so long. The Holiday season is really cutting into the writing time. Sorry, guys. There probably won't be any more than one new chapter before January, 2013.

*=Everything I described down in The Beldam's catacombs lair is based on real artworks constructed from real human bones in actual catacombs. The things people have had artists and architects go down and do with the skeletons of the dead entombed there is chilling at the least freaky of times.

EDIT: Thanks for the help, Totemo!


	19. Chapter 17: Nephrite's Discovery

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Point taken. No worries. This chapter won't be nearly as gritty.

**TropicalRemix:** You're about to find out.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Thank You. And a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you, too.

**Totemo Omoshiroi: **Thanks again for the help, and for the review!

**Chapter 17**

**Nephrite's Discovery; Targeted**

Monday, May 4th

"Are you sure you can manage?" Kunzite asked with concern.

Zoicite turned to his lover and smiled weakly.

"Don't worry about me, love. I'll make do," Zoicite replied putting on his best face.

Kunzite wasn't so sure. He said nothing more, but he kept Zoicite firmly in the corner of his vision as the younger man leaned on the cane the doctor had issued to him. As of now, Zoicite _could_ use it to walk, albeit slowly. His entire right side was still very hurt from the encounter with the Celestial Warriors. Kunzite knew he should just be happy that Zoicite was out of that hospital bed, but it was troubling to see the normally quick and limber man still walk with such difficulty.

"Stop coddling him so," Beryl said to Kunzite coldly. "He's a soldier, just the same as you."

Kunzite looked up at his queen seated on her throne. He gave a quick bow in acknowledge of the order, but remained silent. The pair stood on the button step of the stone platform Beryl's throne rested on. A few moments later, Jadeite and Nephrite arrived, taking their places next to their comrades. Jadeite held a black orb with life energy glowing within it.

"My Queen, I present our latest bounty," Jadeite said, holding it up.

The orb levitated up out of his hands up into the crystalline shell above them as before. It was absorbed into The Entity. There was a dim glow from within the mass, indicating the gift's acceptance. Beryl smiled at Jadeite.

"Well done. With every human life you bring to me, we are a step closer to victory," she congratulated him.

Jadeite grinned and then placed his right hand over his heart and bowed. Beryl's eyes fell on Nephrite, who held a large yellow envelope.

"You may present your findings now, Nephrite," she said.

"As you wish, Milady," Nephrite said, bowing.

He took a piece of paper out of the envelope and approached his queen holding it up for her to take. She accepted it and turned it over in her hand to face right side up. It was a photograph of a girl she'd never seen before with reddish-brown hair that down to her shoulders tied back with a green ribbon. Beryl looked from it to her subordinates. Now Nephrite passed his fellow Shitennou each a copy of it. One glance was enough for Jadeite and Zoicite to recognize the girl.

"Ah, Naru Osaka," Zoicite said.

"Who?" Kunzite asked.

"Just a girl with a knack with a getting herself into trouble," Zoicite said, and chuckled.

"I don't understand. You said you had something important to show us," Jadeite said, looking at Nephrite with confusion.

"It _is_ important," Nephrite insisted. "Look at the date."

Jadeite lifted a brow, but did as he was told. He also took a closer look at the girl's surroundings. It was fuzzy, but he could just make out a Merry-Go-Round.

"This was taken yesterday at Dream Land" Jadeite said with realization.

"Indeed," Nephrite said.

He turned to Beryl. She leaned forward, listening to with great interest.

"That girl, Naru Osaka, has become an oft seen presence during our operations in Tokyo, Japan on four different occasions in about a month," he said. "On April 6th, she was there at one of the houses The Rake attacked the night Celestial Warrior Moon first emerged. April 8th, it was her mother's jewelry store Zoicite temporarily took control of. April 15th, she was at the Hikawa Shrine the day Zoicite was injured and yesterday, May 3rd, she was at my latest mission site, Dream Land," Nephrite explained. "It's not difficult to ascertain that's easily one or two times too many for this to be coincidence. The point is she knows something."

"Or she'd just unlucky," Zoicite said glibly. "I've battled the Warriors up close, and I can say with absolute certainty that she looks nothing like them."

"Ah, but just what do we know about them? How much about them changes when they put on the armor? Perhaps her hair lengthens and turns blonde when she becomes Warrior Moon (or turns black when as Mars) or maybe she grows taller as Warrior Jupiter," Nephrite suggested.

Jadeite narrowed his eyes and crumpled the picture in his hand.

"I thought her energy levels were a bit too high," Jadeite said hatefully. "I should have known. My queen, I will have this interloper brought before us and she _will_ talk!"

"Whoa, there! Easy, my good fellow," Nephrite said, raising both hands calmingly.

He turned back to Beryl.

"My queen, with your permission, I would like to begin _discretely _investigating this suspect," he said.

"And how do you intend to approach her?" Beryl asked.

"Well, that's quite simple," Nephrite replied. "According to the file Jadeite compiled about her before…she likes older men."

"If she knows enough to be a look out on the street, she will know you on sight," Kunzite said.

"Ah, but Nephrite is a man of many faces," the dark haired Shitennou replied. "When it comes to it I will adapt a new face."

* * *

"Hmm. Looks like they already solved who the kidnapper at that new theme park is," Kenji said.

"Oh?" Ikuko asked.

Kenji took another sip of his morning coffee before continuing. He turned the Juuban Post around so his wife could see. She looked over her shoulder from the kitchen stove.

"Yep, says here on Page 4 that the one responsible for the abductions of all those people was Eri Ito, the actress they recently hired to play The Dream Princess. She gone missing, probably on the run," Kenji explained.

Ikuko shook her sadly and turned away.

"Is nowhere safe anymore? I almost don't even want to let our kids leave the house even to go to school with all this mayhem going on," she said.

Then another thought occurred to her.

"Or who knows? Is home even safe anymore? That wild cat over at the Osakas definitely says not."

Kenji set the paper down and got up. Ikuko heard him walk up to her before hugging her from behind.

"I know. I know. Times are tough right now, dear, but we'll do what we always do when the world gets rough with us. We'll soldier through it," he said.

"Ew! Kissing!" they both heard Shingo exclaim.

"Hey, Shingo, why don't you go get your sister up," Ikuko told him.

"Do I _look_ like I have a megaphone?" Shingo asked sarcastically.

Kenji gave Shingo the classic 'do as you're told' look.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin…" Shingo started.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Crap! It's already after 8:00! Mama, I need my lunch!" Usagi screamed whooshing past.

"Whoa! H-Hey! Sis! You dropped your bag!" Shingo hollered after her.

Kenji and Ikuko bit back a good laugh as Shingo ran after her.

* * *

The door to the classroom flew open. Usagi stumbled on her way through and fell onto her knees. This certainly got Naru and Makoto's attention from where they stood next to Usagi's seat.

"Owie!" Usagi cried.

She scrambled to her feet and ran for her desk.

"G-G-Good morning! I'm here!" she called.

"Relax, Usagi. Ms. Haruna isn't here yet," Naru said, greeting her.

"That's good, at least," Usagi mumbled.

She slid into her seat and practically melted into it. She plopped her lunchbox and yes, her bag onto the top. She leaned back and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Page 5 of the local newspaper was being held directly over her head by Makoto.

"What's this?" Usagi asked.

"This," Makoto answered, and pointed to the top article.

Usagi began reading it out loud:

"_Queen Elizabeth II, herself, to present the Sapphire Crystal._

_London, England. As of the announcement that England's own Queen Elizabeth will be presenting the recently unearthed jewel personally, random police checks will be in effect until after the exhibit is closed and the crystal is moved to The British Museum._

"_The Dinner Party held for the grand opening in Buckingham Palace's ballroom wing will be invitation only._"

"Well, that's cool!" Usagi said when she finished. "But what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that the situation just got a lot dicier. After school, we should pick up Rei, get in touch with Luna, and start getting ready for this right away," Makoto said.

Usagi snorted.

"Luna'll have fake invitations for us all made up. We'll guard the sapphire crystal until we can run some tests or whatever on it. It's real simple," Usagi said lazily.

"Not where an elderly woman is concerned, it's not," Makoto said sincerely. "If the enemy makes their move when the Queen is presenting the jewel, she could be seriously hurt, or worse. We have two weeks. We need to start preparing _now_."

Usagi and Makoto's gazes met. Usagi could see how serious her friend was about this and sighed.

"Man, such a bother," Usagi said, scratching the back of her head.

"Usagi… Our first mission in another country was a total failure and the yesterday's almost didn't go any better," Makoto scolded.

"Hey! I didn't say I won't do it. You win. We start practicing for our next mission today," Usagi assured her.

Makoto beamed.

"Hey, what are you girls talking about?" Umino asked.

"Gah! Oh, you," Makoto said, recognizing the bespectacled boy.

She held up the paper so he could see it.

"Oh, yeah! I've read all about that sapphire jewel Queen Elizabeth is presenting over in England. Man, I wish they were holding that here," Umino said.

"That would be simpler," Makoto said under her breath.

She happened to glance at the books Umino had under his arm and could partially make out the titles.

"Catching up on your fantasy reading?" Makoto asked.

"Huh?" Umino asked cluelessly.

She pointed to his books.

"Oh. Oh! This? Actually, I'm not!"

He looked around nervously as if embarrassed to say what he was going to and then leaned in with a hand cupped around his mouth.

"You girls might not believe this, but I'm reading these books for my own safety. There are monsters out there on the prowl and books like this might give me an edge if I ever run into another one. I few weeks ago, remember when the other boys and I went bonkers? Well, we were under the control of a siren, and I'm _not_ making that up as an excuse," he whispered.

He held up the first book: _Mythological Beasts and Monsters: A Complete Guide to Creatures of Legend_. Then the next, which was a _Dungeons and Dragons_ monster manual, and finally, the third: _A Treasury of Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters_.

"Monsters? Where'd you get…ah, silly idea…like that?" Usagi stuttered.

Makoto, however, was silent. Umino turned to slink away, but she stopped him by grabbing his sleeve. Umino looked at Makoto questioningly.

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Makoto said.

"Okay, look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, Makoto, but I'm being serious here," Umino said.

"We're not teasing you this time, Umino," Naru answered.

Umino stared at them with his eyes buggier than usual.

"You…you're not?"

"Yeah, sure. There are plenty of freaky things going on. I don't know what exactly, but it never hurts to be prepared," Naru replied.

Makoto gave him the thumbs up.

"Gee, thanks. Oh, I think I hear Ms. Haruna coming. Talk to you all later," Umino hurried over to his seat.

"Sheesh. You might as well just've told him everything," Usagi commented.

"Hey, at least with him studying up on monsters, he might stand a chance if we're not there to bail him out," Makoto said.

* * *

_Glebe Morgue, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia_

"Gentlemen, Mr. Pious, and Doctors Zimbalist and Cortez, I present the former Mr. Keith Baxter," the balding mortician said.

"Just get on with it," Pious ordered.

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on," the mortician said.

Pious bristled at the jab at his own baldness.

The mortician opened the compartment and pulled out the slab. He uncovered the body down to the shoulders, exposing the pale face of the victim. Then the heavy set morgue worker stepped out of the way. Pious and the good doctors gathered around to get a good look at the man lying on the cold slab. Mr. Baxter had been in the latter end of his mid-life. On his narrow face, signs of age were beginning to show in the form of mild wrinkling. His once dark hair was partially gray with streaks of white, gray, and dark brown scattered all over. Skin that had once been much tanned from maintaining the plant life in a local park was now as uncannily white.

"This one's got me at a loss, mates. Good luck figuring him out any better than we did," the mortician said.

Pious nodded and stepped away allowing the other two men more room.

"Dr. Zimbalist, Dr. Cortes, you may begin," Pious said.

The Psychic and Forensic Scientist got to work. The contrast between the doctors might have been amusing under less serious circumstances. While Dr. Armand Cortes was a tall man with broad shoulders with a stocky build, dark skin and facial features denoting his Gypsy and Spanish heritage. He had a long, thin face, an aquiline nose, straight dark hair, and sunken-in eyes.

The Psychic and Medical Doctor, Thabo Zimbalist on the other hand was a small, frail looking older man. A Native South African, he had black skin and his balding head had just a little bit of gray hair around the edges still.

Dr. Cortes held up the deceased's file.

"I understand that the initial assessment is-," Cortes started to ask.

"It's correct," The mortician cut in.

Cortes gave him a look at the interruption, but that didn't stop the mortician. He spoke quickly and it was difficult to keep up with him.

"Nothing was wrong with any of his vitals. Baxter wasn't the picture of perfect health, but it wasn't nature that got him. No signs of illness, poisoning, blunt trauma, and no scars or lacerations. Nothing. It's like his body just decided to throw in the towel."

Zimbalist and Cortes exchanged knowing looks.

"The same as the other two," Zimbalist said.

"Other two?" the mortician asked. "There have been others like him?"

"One in America and the other from England, actually. Except they were both young, unlike him," Pious replied.

"So that's one pattern you lot were hoping for down the drain, then," the mortician said.

Pious gave a single nod in reply. It was, indeed, true. Now that they knew that Jadeite and Nephrite's targets could be of any age that just made things more complicated.

Zimbalist looked to Pious, who nodded, giving him the go ahead. Zimbalist stepped in close to the deceased and gripped both sides of his head. Zimbalist closed his eyes in concentration. The mortician raised an eyebrow and looked at Pious questioningly.

"Almost all the life energy has been taken from him. His body could not cope with so little left. I can sense it was absolutely surging with energy before the drain," Zimbalist said.

"Just like the other two," Cortes muttered.

The mortician grinned, looking both amused and confused.

"Soul-sucking?" the mortician asked. "Is that what you think happened here?"

"Yes, and if you have any better theories, I would love to hear them, and it's not exactly soul-sucking, but very close," Pious answered, fast losing patience with the man.

Zimbalist's dropped his hands to his sides shaking his head.

"That's all I can make out," he said.

"Alright. We're done here, then," Pious said.

He turned to the mortician.

"Dr. Cortes is to be given everything he needs to conduct his autopsy of the body. This _is_ on the warrant we showed you. Alright, Dr. Zimbalist, we're leaving."

* * *

"See you later, Naru! Have fun for all of us, because Mako and I are going to be busy, busy, busy!" Usagi called over her shoulder.

"Yeah, right," Naru shouted back, sardonically.

Makoto tried to look inconspicuous while she made sure no one was looking as she called Rei.

"Hey, Rei, do you have archery club today?" Makoto asked.

"No. Why?"

"Great. Could you meet us up Joe's Convenience Store?" Makoto asked. "I'd like to start getting ready for that party in England today."

"Sure. I was about to suggest that if you didn't," Rei answered earnestly.

"Great, we'll see you there, Rei," Makoto said cheerily and hung up.

She turned to Usagi.

"She's coming!"

"Oh, yay," Usagi said flatly. "Now I can spend the entire afternoon with someone who'll criticize every little thing I do."

"Oh, she's not THAT bad!" Makoto replied.

"You can say that, _because_ she's not always getting on _your_ case!"

* * *

Naru's motions were practically automated on the way back home she'd taken so many times that she could do it in the deepest slumber. Her mind wasn't on the sidewalk and people right in front of her or passing her by. It was on the house waiting at the other end. Ever since _that_ night, she was always a little scared of what might be waiting for her when she got home. After all, the attack by The Rake and the following attack on her mother's store that'd turned her aunt and the customers into zombie slaves taught her a very hard lesson: the enemy knew where she lived.

Naru bit her lip and tried to keep her breathing under control. No need to make passersby think she was having an episode of some kind, but she really did want to just break down in the street right there. She tried to comfort herself with the fact that she had concealed both a hammer and a butcher knife in her book bag, which she'd transfer to her casual purse when going out. This did little to that effect. The fact that she knew she'd need them one of these days when Usagi and the others were elsewhere just made her more afraid.

"Naru!"

She squeaked and jumped in fright. Her hand plunged into her book bag as she slowly looked over her shoulder. She breathed out a sigh. Her fingers released the hammer.

"Oh, Rui! It's just you," Naru said breathlessly, holding a hand over her heart.

"Who'd you think, silly?" Rui asked, laughing.

Naru turned to face her old friend fully now. Rui Saionji was a year older than Naru and a lot taller, but still not quit as tall as Makoto. It looked like she'd been getting a good tan and had let her brown hair grown out. If not tied back in a ponytail, it'd hang down to her waist. Rui's blue eyes stared at Naru with humor. She was currently dressed in her tennis gear, white mini-skirt and a light-T with matching cap. She carried her gear in a red duffle bag.

"So what was up with you just now? I called like four times before you finally heard me," Rui asked.

"Oh, I was just lost in thought," Naru replied.

"Well, duh. So what has Little Sister so wrapped that she couldn't hear me?" Rui asked with mock cooing.

"Uh…stuff?"

"Well, I'd hope so, because otherwise that'd be a head full of nothing!"

"Hey! Actually, I was just thinking about….that one night."

Rui nodded her head understandingly.

"No surprise there. I almost scolded my mom for telling a _really _joke when she told me that an escaped wild cat attacked you in your house," Rui said, seriously.

Rui paused and then asked.

"…Is your mom okay? And how about you?"

Naru smiled faintly.

"We're good. She's been out of the hospital, but she'd still not quite up to a hundred percent. We've had the house repaired, so there are no more reminders of _it_. But _enough_ about that, what brings you here?"

"Oh, yeah. Um…" Rui said.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably before continuing and looked at Naru apologetically.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry that I haven't stopped by much since it happened. I've just been busy with practice. I've been getting ready for the summer matches," Rui explained.

"Hey, it's no biggie. I've barely had time to think about it, myself," Naru replied easily.

"Good! When in doubt, do something," Rui said. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to play some tennis and afterwards, we could hang out whenever you want."

"Sure! Oh, wait, I'll have to ask mom. I don't I have any money left, so I'll…" Naru said happily.

Rui was already holding up a pair of coins.

"Same old Naru," Rui said fondly.

Naru flushed, but accepted the coins anyway. A moment later, she ran back.

"It's alright. Lead the way, Big Sis!" Naru said.

* * *

"Luna!" Usagi cried, flinging the door open.

Luna looked up from her paperwork at the three teens that barged into her office. It was a modest work space with plain white walls. The door was located in the bottom left corner of the wall, and Luna's desk was positioned directly across from it. A plain gray carpet had some chairs positioned on it. The secretary's desk was set to the door's right and facing opposite Luna's.

Girls?" Luna asked a little surprised.

"We've been calling you?" Rei said crisply. "We got lost like three times wandering the halls trying to find you."

"My phone's set on Silent," Luna said plainly. "I have a complete report of what happened yesterday to finish before going through some evidence they pulled from the theatre. Why are you all here?"

"They actually came on their own?" Luna thought with astonishment.

"You explain," Usagi pointed to Makoto.

Makoto stepped forward.

"What's the plan for the exhibition in England?"

"Well, I wasn't going to drop that bomb shell on you three before tomorrow. You girls just take it easy today and we'll start then."

"Sounds good," Usagi chirped.

She turned and started for the door, but Makoto and Rei grabbed her shoulder, dragged her back in, and turned her around.

"No go," Rei said. "The wicked won't wait for the heroes to decide when they're ready for battle. We can begin immediately."

"That has got to be the cheesiest thing I've ever heard," Usagi said.

This received a clap on the back from the head from Rei.

"Ow! MakoooooO! Rei hit me!"

"Oh, STOP whining!" Rei said sharply.

Luna sighed looking down at the stack of paper work on her desk. She tapped her chin in thought. She didn't want to dissuade the initiative the girls were showing, but she just couldn't work with them today.

"Oh, hello, ladies," a quiet, elderly voice said from the hall.

The trio turned and saw Myddin leaning on the frame doorway. He wore dark gray pants and a red sweater.

"And to what do we owe this visit?" he asked nicely.

"The girls would like to know how we intend to deal with the event on the 22nd," Luna answered.

"Oh, Queen Elizabeth's presentation of the jewel," Myddin said.

He then smiled the clever sort of smile when you have something planned.

"You could have just waited for us to call. There's no need for you girls to concern yourselves beyond going on missions when summoned," he said.

"Hey, didn't I say before that I wasn't your stooge!" Usagi said crossly.

"We want to know what the plan is _now_," Makoto said.

"I'm not just going to agree to anyone's guard dog until I know what kind of trouble we're facing," Rei said firmly.

Myddin smiled as if this answer pleased him.

"Well, then, I guess I have no other choice. Luna, I will inform our warriors what lies ahead," he said.

"Don't you have to ratify the Merfolk and Selkie's new peace treaty today?" Luna askd.

"Oh, that? I finished approving that over-bloated thing an hour ago," Myddin answered.

He ran a hand through his thin, white hair while letting out a great long sigh.

"Politicking, vague wording, double meanings, triple meanings, even _quadruple _meanings, and whatnot. You girls be happy you can leave weeding all that out to old badgers like me," he said wearily.

He nodded them to follow him.

"I'll handle this, Luna. You just finish your work," he said.

Usagi, Makoto, and Rei went with him out into the hall.

"Where are we going?" Rei asked.

"My office. I've been going over our plans for 18th of May, myself, making sure we have everything covered," he answered.

Behind them was the exit door leading to the stairs that'd go up to the first and third floors with Luna's office having been the last door on the right. Myddin took the girls left at the first outlet in the hall and led them clear to the end until they came to a door marked "Head Keeper Myddin". He opened it and stood aside, letting them in first.

Rei poked her head in first, peering into the office. To say that his was unique among the others, all of which were exactly what you'd exactly to find in an office building. Myddin's office, however, was nothing like. Unlike the rest, its floor was polished cedar. There were wooden panels all along the lower portion of the walls in extravagant resigns. The white, brown, and gray paint on the wall seemed to have a stone-like appearance of a room in an old castle. Bookshelves lined the walls and were absolutely stuffed with tomes of all ages. And any books that did not have room on his shelves were neatly stacked on the floor.

In the middle of the room facing away from the door was an old-fashioned writing desk and a chair. Both were obviously hand-carved and seemed more at home in the home of an English gentlemen from ages past. There were four other chairs sitting in the corner of the room. Just beyond the desk was a chalkboard with writing already on it and pieces of paper taped to it. On the right was a large wooden cupboard. If there had been a fireplace in the room, it wouldn't have looked out of place. In all, it had a cluttered but homey feel to it.

The three teens didn't quite know what to make of this as they entered and looked around. Myddin walked past them over to the cupboard.

"Is this one of the perks of being boss-man?" Usagi asked.

"No. Just one of the perks of being the only one to _bother_ customizing his office," Myddin answered.

He opened up the cupboard and took out a small square box and a long, thin one before sitting down at his desk. The girls grabbed three of the chairs from the corner and took a spot next to him on either side. Usagi and Rei were the closest on either side of him with Makoto next to Usagi. On the desk was what looked like the floor plan of a castle. There were various notes written on it at certain doorways and such. For examples, one hall of many doors said had "the main hall will be closely guarded by no fewer than 20 men" written on it.

Myddin opened the long, thin box, revealing a smoking pipe. The stem was very long and thin, coming out of the shank at a 45 degree angle and bending down until the end was level. The girls exchanged uncomfortable glances. Usagi coughed.

"That's not very good for you," she said.

"This is a pipe, dear girl. It's not the same as taking it directly like a cigarette," Myddin explained. "You do not inhale deeply from a pipe. You let it drift up the stem from the other end. Much, much less harmful than a cigarette, and no, you _can't_ have a puff."

He opened the smaller, revealing dried leaves inside. He stuck them into the shank and took out a matchbox from his pocket.

"Besides," he said. "These leaves are special. Old Tobey, you know. The finest weed in the Southfarthing."

Rei blinked and scratched the side of her head deep in thought.

"That sounds familiar," she said.

"I should think so, but I doubt you knew that hobbits now trade goods with outside territories," Myddin replied.

He looked at Rei out of the corner of his eye and watched as hers' lit up.

"Hobbits?!" Rei cried, getting starry-eyed.

Then she calmed herself and let out an uncomfortable cough.

"I see," she said with deliberate off-handedness.

Myddin smirked, but let the matter drop.

"What's a hobbit?" Usagi and Makoto asked.

Myddin looked from one girl to the other with disbelief and sighed.

"What are they teaching children these days?" he asked, despairingly.

He turned his attention back to the castle floor plan.*

"This is the principle floor of the Palace," he explained.

The castle was shaped like a big square with the smaller square coming out of its left side in the back. Myddin pointed to that smaller square.

"This is the ballroom wing and where the palace is hosting the dinner party. The jewel itself will be in a covered glass case near the Queen's throne at the North end of the room. At the party's end, she will unveil it and the attendees will get their chance to gaze upon it. During the party, you three will be among the crowd keeping an eye on things. We don't mind if you all find a dance partner as long as you remember your duty."

Makoto and Rei both looked at Usagi projecting that last comment at her.

"What's with the looks?" she asked defensively.

Myddin continued:

"If it is the Silver Crystal resurfaced at last, something will happen that night that will change the course of the war for better or worse and our Moon Princess will appear to claim it. You three must make sure she's able to."

"So…then…" Makoto stammered nervously and had to swallow hard. "If this is the Silver Crystal, everything changes in two weeks."

Myddin blew a smoke ring from his mouth before answering.

"Yes. Quite correct," he said in a low voice.

The girls exchanged scared looks, not knowing if they were ready for this. Myddin took this opportunity to speak again.

"Understand this: the enemy's desperation will drive them like the whip of their master. They will have no misgivings about tearing London apart to get to The Silver Crystal. We will have to act swiftly and decisively to prevent that," Myddin said gravely.

"Could they really demolish a whole city?" Usagi asked, tentatively.

"Take what you've seen up until now and multiply that into an army, which they _will_ summon if the Silver Crystal remains too long in London," Myddin said.

"So, 'Yes'," Makoto said.

"So…what are the chances that this is what we've been looking for?" Rei asked.

Myddin shook his head. He pushed his thick glasses up to the top of his nose.

"I don't know. We can be certain of nothing, and leave no avenue unexplored," he said.

Usagi hesitated, but she hopped out of her chair while rubbing her palms together.

"I think we'd better start our training exercises, then," she said.

* * *

"You're kidding!" Naru gasped.

"I'm not! Coach Jouda said I have a real chance of getting of making it to the finals," Rui said happily.

"Won't you need a sponsor to get in?" Naru asked.

"Yeah, and he's trying to get us noticed by some corporate big wigs. He _was_ going to talk to that Maxfield Stanton, but with that scandal at Stanton's park, Dream Land, Coach has had to start looking somewhere else," Rui replied somewhat gloomily.

"Us?" Naru asked.

"Oh, I mean 'us' as in Kairi and Sakaki, two other players Coach is training," Rui replied. "They'll be at the court today, too. Why don't I introduce you guys?"

"Wait, if this is where you practice, should I be coming onto the court? Wouldn't I be getting in the way?" Naru asked.

"Pfft! Nah! Coach isn't there today, which leaves just three of us. With you, there's four and no odd girl out. Besides, I already cleared it with Coach," Rui said.

"Alright, but I just play as a hobby at school and the park sometimes. I'm hardly a pro, so don't act surprised if I can't keep up with you guys," Naru said.

"What are you talking about. This is just for fun today," Rui said.

"You're right. Look at me, worrying about nothing. This'll be fun," Naru said, and laughed gently.

Rui suddenly grinned at her slyly.

"You know, it's a shame that Maxfield Stanton can't be my sponsor. I could have introduced you two," Rui said playfully.

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on, with your 'older man' fetish, I'm sure…" Rui's voice went low and husky. "…A tall, broad-shouldered muscle man with long brown hair and green eyes would just right for your tastes."

Naru felt her face heat as it darkened into a deep shade of red. Rui covered her mouth to try to hold back the whoops of laughter that threatened to escape.

"Ah! Rui, stop it! You're creeping me out!" Naru cried.

Rui finally lost it and burst out into loud guffaws. Naru scowled and began lightly batting her hand. Rui raised her hands protectively while still laughing and began to running ahead of Naru.

"Hey! Come back here! I'm not through with you yet!" Naru shouted as her feet began to pound the pavement.

"Gotta catch me first!" Rui teased.

They ran the rest of the way to the tennis court. When they arrived, the other players until Sanjouin's instruction were using one of the nets.

"Hello!" Rui called to them.

They waved back without stopping their game.

"Hi Rui," one of them asked.

"That's Kairi," Rui said.

She was a tall girl with long black hair and a pale complexion. The other girl on the opposite side of the had had shoulder length hair and a much darker skin tone.

"And she's Sakaki," Rui said, nodding towards the other player.

"Hi," Sakaki said between plays.

Rui and Naru set up at another net, all the while completely unaware of the watcher that parked not far from the court. Nephrite and Jadeite sat in a red sports car watching them. Nephrite leaned forward on the steering wheel.

"That girl our target arrived with resembles Warrior Jupiter, does she not?" Jadeite observed.

"Yes, we just might be in luck," Nephrite said without taking his eyes off the prize.

Nephrite paused and then a broad smile crossed his face.

"I have an idea. That's a perfect way to run a little test," Nephrite said, sounding very pleased with himself.

"What are you babbling about?" Jadeite asked.

"You'll see," Nephrite replied.

He put on a pair of sunglasses. Jadeite watched as Nephrite's hair shortened until it was short and looked gelled and combed into place like a proper businessman's. It also lightened to almost blonde. Nephrite stepped out of the car.

"Stay here," he said.

Thankfully, Nephrite was already in pedestrian clothes, so no one gave him a second look as he walked down the street towards the tennis court. Nephrite shoved his hands into the pockets of his white pants after straightening up his blue sports jacket which had become uneven on his tan button up shirt.

"Oh, he'd gorgeous!" Naru heard someone say from the street. She glanced towards the sidewalk and say Nephrite watching them. She stopped what she was doing. Oh, wow, whoever had said that was right.

"Head's up!" Rui shouted.

Naru broke out of her reverie and saw the ball coming over the net. Oh, crap! She wasn't prepared. She swung wildly and managed to hit the thing back at Rui by pure luck. The ball flew towards the left and Rui made a dash to intercept it. She _just_ missed it and the ball bounced off the fence and came rolling back to them.

"Man. That was a nice serve there, Naru! You should seriously think about trying out," Rui said.

"Oh, you're just being nice. That was just a lucky shot," Naru replied modestly.

Rui looked Nephrite's way to see what had distracted Naru earlier while retrieving the ball. She grinned, getting the picture. Nephrite suddenly crouched down low and jumped up. Rui and Naru gasped as he cleared the story tall fence in a single bound and then landed feet first on the pavement. He stood back up and approached Rui. To Naru, as he neared, his handsomeness seemed to grow with every step and she got lost in his hypnotic green eyes.

"Hey!" Sakaki shouted at him. "No one outside of the Coach and us can come onto the court without permission!"

"Screw that noise!" Kairi cried. "Man jumps twenty feet in the air and you're mad about trespassing? I wanna know what his mother fed him growing up!"

Rui cleared her throat, uncomfortable at Nephrite's piercing stare on her.

"Excuse me, but she's right. Please don't enter the court without permission," she said.

"Use your weight more when you hit the ball," he said to Rui.

"Buh?" she expressed.

He stopped and turned to Naru. She blushed again and looked away.

"Excuse me, but can I use your racket for a moment?" he asked politely.

"O-Oh… Sure…H-here," Naru held it out ackwardly.

"Thank you," Nephrite said, accepting it.

He took Naru's place at the court.

"Okay, try me!" he said.

Rui looked over Sakaki and Kairi. When they shrugged uncaringly, she turned back to Nephrite with a determined express. She batted her best shot his way. Then Nephrite received the serve and struck the tennis ball with such force that just for a second, its shape warped before flying at Rui with blinding speed. She swung her racket and managed to intercept the ball, but its force was such that the racket was pulled from her hand. Naru, Sakaki, and Kairi all stood staring dumbly at what had just transpired.

"Rui?" Naru asked, watching her rub her wrist and shake it.

"That one smarts, but I'm fine," Rui said.

Nephrite moseyed towards her fishing something out of his wallet.

"You're very good, but you need to give your serves a little more _oomph_," Nephrite said.

"Who are you, anyway? You still haven't told us your name," Rui said, but not impolitely.

"Masato Sanjouin, Ms. Saionji. My card," Nephrite answered.

He handed the business card to Rui. As her eyes skimmed the kanji written on it, he knelt down to pick up her racket for her.

"Really, I'm just an eccentric coach with a company on the lookout for new athletes to sponsor for the coming national tournament. You can consider me a helping hand," he said, still kneeling.

He stood and handed her the racket back.

"Thank you," Rui said.

"No prob. Oh, you don't need to decide today. Give me a call when you've made up your mind. My office's number is on the card. Good day."

He started back the way he came. On the way out, he shot Naru a quick glance and winked at her. Rui was too stunned staring at the card to notice.

"Think he'll hop the fence again?" Kairi asked Sakaki.

As if on cue, Nephrite flew over it again, landing on the other side. They watched him walk back to his car. Then Kairi ran over to Rui and clapped her on the back playfully.

"Hey, congrats, girl! You just got an offer from a sponsor! A Sponsor!" she said.

"Wow! To think I got to see your start of fame first hand," Naru said half teasingly.

Rui didn't respond. She just stared at the card. It'd all been so quick that it still seemed unreal to her.

* * *

"That was exceedingly reckless," Jadeite said to him as he climbed back in.

"Was it?" Nephrite asked.

"Yes. The only thing you could have to further incriminate yourself is place an enchantment on that girl's racket…you didn't, did you?"

"Yes, but it's inactive until the right time. If I had the spell start its work right away, that'd have implicated me. The important thing is I've made first contact with the Osaka girl."

"Just what do you mean by 'the right time?" Jadeite asked.

"I tuned the magic into the Osaka girl's aura. The next time the two girls are together, it will begin its work. Then we'll see how those girls handle themselves. The results will speak for themselves," Nephrite said confidently.

"Well, if you're so certain," Jadeite replied, sounding utterly unconvinced.

He checked his watch.

"I have to check in with Aqua. She should have them ready by this afternoon."

"Understood."

"And Nephrite."

"Yeah."

"Try not to get too involved."

Nephrite smirked.

"Give me a break. She's not even a woman yet."

"No. I'm serious. Don't get too involved. I know your interest in the Osaka girl goes deeper than what she may know and I'm warning you. She might _look_ like Mary, but she is _not_ Mary. Don't forget that."

Nephrite glowered at Jadeite as the other man vanished from the car.

"No one knows that better than me. My Mary is gone," Nephrite thought.

* * *

"When you said to start practicing, this isn't what I had in mind," Rei said.

_When a Merry Maiden Marries_ boomed from the overhead speakers, reverberated through the iron walls of the Warriors' personal training room. Presently she was engaged in a waltz being led by Makoto.

"…And when I step back with my right leg, follow me with your left," Makoto said.

They performed the step.

"Now, my left, your right," Makoto said.

Makoto shifted her body as she slid the right foot against her left. Rei stayed with her.

"And that's the box step: three steps, always in synch with your partner and the music," Makoto said.

"Where'd you learn to waltz?" Rei asked.

"Mom taught me. Count the music with me. 1, 2, 3… 1, 2, 3…"

While Makoto continued to coach Rei through the steps, Myddin attempted to the same with Usagi. The old man grunted slight as Usagi stepped on his foot, again.

"Sorry!" Usagi cried.

"Young lady, this is why I don't want you trying this in heels yet," Myddin said.

Usagi laughed nervously at this and tried again, but succeeded only in tripping over her feet and falling down.

"Any possibly of pushing the exhibition back a week or two?" Rei asked mockingly. "At this rate, she might b a hazard to whoever she dances with."

"Ow! That goes for you, too, if you don't pay attention!" Makoto said grumpily upon being kicked in the shin.

"Uh… Oops," Rei said sheepishly.

"Eyes. On. Me," Makoto instructed firmly.

Rei's gaze frightfully locked in place under Makoto's gruff scrutiny. Usagi got back up, more determined than ever to prove Rei wrong.

"I'll show her," Usagi thought. "Come two weeks from now, I'll dance better than her!"

"My foot, my foot!" Myddin said painfully.

"Oop, sorry!"

**A/N: **Huh. I never imagined I'd actually end up using Rui Saionji. Her DiC Dub counterpart Katie Sandler has been mentioned, being Jadeite and Nephrite's first energy drain victim. Honestly, I thought that's all I'd use Tennis Girl for. Needing to get Nephrite and Naru in the same scene together changed that. So, yeah, Rui Saionji and Katie Sandler are now different, but very similar, people in this fic.

*=You can see a basic version of the Buckingham Palace floor plan here: wiki/File:Plan_of_Buckingham_ I'd only bother looking at this one. The rest are just a freaking headache.

**EDIT: **I am officially a dummy. I got some of my datd mixed up and ended getting the girls stuck in April for like eight weeks when the calendar should have moved forward into May. Well, I've gone through and fixed. The exhibition _was _on the 9th, but now it's the 18th thanks to a simple mathematical error on my part in keeping the dates straight. Oops.


	20. Chapter 18: The Ball

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**LoveintheBattleField: **I will. Happy New Year to you, too!

**Drew L.: **We won't be learning more about Mary until a much later time, unfortunately. Though given Nephrite's personality, though, you can figure out what she was to him pretty easily.

**SomeoftheFame: **Thanks. It's good to be back. I knew I couldn't play out the Naru-x-Nephrite subplot the same way the anime did.

**Guest: **All very good questions. Zoicite's intentions will be revealed in full in due time.

**Thunderbird: **Thank you, and I will.

**Ask Devil Sadist: **No, I'm not a professional writer, but I do aim to be. I've actually considered making another version of this story and trying to send it to a publisher, but that will be sometime in the future. Thank for taking the time to send so much feedback. All the answers will be supplied in due time. ;)

**Chapter 18**

**The Ball**

The next two weeks passed by quickly as the girls honed both their battle skills and perfected their waltz. Jupiter began to seriously practice her control over the Earth for the first time, but couldn't really make plants or dirt move effectively for combat just yet. Her forte so far had been control over lightning. Luna had told her that Celestial Warrior Jupiter's default ability was control over lightning, anyway, so she didn't feel _too _bad about the difficulties she was having with earth. As for the Dark Kingdom, things had been quiet ever since the Dream Land incident. In fact, if you asked The Keepers and Celestial Warriors, they'd tell you things were suspiciously quiet on the enemy front. In any case, when not training, they used the much needed rest to wind down their bundled nerves and live as normally as they could.

6:00 PM, Friday, May 21st

There was a knocking at Makoto's front door, which the owner of the little apartment promptly answered. Usagi stood at the door carrying a bag with a change of clothes in it.

"I'm here!" Usagi chirped happily.

Makoto crossed her arms and glared at Usagi strictly, making her take a step back. Rei and Luna appeared on either side of her with matching impatient and annoyed stares.

"You're late," Rei said crossly.

"You didn't study for that test with Ami and me. Where were you?" Makoto said grumpily.

"Don't tell me you failed that test and got detention," Luna said with a voice that was almost a tired groan.

Usagi recoiled from each scolding and held her arms tightly against her chest with the fists resting on her chin. She was almost in tears.

"G-guys! You don't have to pen me with such scary looks!" Usagi cried whilst beginning the waterworks.

While Luna and Makoto made due with mere unimpressed looks, Rei pushed past Makoto to the blubbering blonde standing in the doorway.

"Get in here!" Rei shouted angrily.

She grabbed Usagi by the arm and dragged her into the abode growling. Makoto shut the door behind them and then she and Luna followed the other two passing the little kitchen straight to their right in the little hall leading to the living room. Opposite the entrance was the small couch with a few large pillows to sit on laid out on either side. They passed the short table in the middle of the floor where the girls usually gather to their studying.

Rei plopped Usagi down on of the pillows while she took back she spot on the couch.

"And stop crying! It won't make us gloss anything over!" Rei scolded.

Usagi quieted down, but not happily. Luna decided to get things back on subject taking a spot on the floor while Makoto sat next to Rei.

"Anyway, don't forget that England is eight hours behind Japan" Luna said.

" You _only _told us that like a dozen times," Usagi said cantankerously.

"_Yes,_ the time of the party might be 7 PM in London time, but it'll be 3 AM tomorrow here and to your own internal clocks. So make sure you all take a nap this afternoon like I told you. We leave at midnight. Coffee will be ready and waiting for you at Keeper HQ if needed," Luna explained, repeating what she'd already them the day before. "And remember, the cover story is 'sleepover at Makoto's'."

She checked her watch.

"I have to get going. Makoto has the cots set up in the bedroom. I'll be back around 11 to pick you all up. Oh, and I almost forgot to give you these."

She held up through invitations to the ball.

"Do _not_ lose them," Luna said.

The girls accepted them and looked at the fancy tickets. They were actually engraved with what looked like gold to their eyes.

"So my fake name is Samantha Ryder," Usagi said.

"Nerine Bellona," Rei read hers'.

"Maggie Roman," Makoto read off hers' as well.

"Hey, how come we have to have aliases?" Usagi asked curiously. "I thought that the Royals were long time buddies of The Keepers you've already been told everything."

"The enemy might put 1-and-1 together if they see three conspicuously Japanese teenage girls on the guest list," Luna answered.

She got up and left the girl to their own devices.

* * *

"_The Silver Crystal,"_ a voice called in the distance.

It had come from a dark castle shrouded in fog was before him. Phantom Mask gazed out at and then at his more immediate surroundings. He was on a cliff that overlooked the stone structure. He wondered how he had gotten there.

"_The Silver Crystal…" _the voice called to him again.

He looked back at the castle. He could make it out a little more clearly now. The palace greatly resembled the Taj Mahal. At the front gate, he could make out a single figure.

"_Look for the Silver Crystal," _the person's voice instructed once more.

"Where?!" he shouted back. "I don't even know what it is."

The young man awoke. He sat up and looked around. He was in his apartment. A suddenly gust of air alerted him to the window. The curtains flapped in the wind. Someone had gotten in. His eyes scanned the darkness for the intruder. There! He stood in the corner next to the opened window. The young man bolted to his feet and raised his fists to defend himself.

"Relax, kid, it's just me," the person, Orion, said.

The youth lowered his arms.

"The same dream?" Orion asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

Orion made a sound that might have been a grunt or a rough laugh. Either way, he held out an envelope. The young man went over and took it.

"So you've brought it. Let's see who I'm going as, shall we. Hmm. Darien Shields, I think I might like that," the young man said.

"I thought you might," Orion answered.

* * *

May 22nd, 4:30 PM, London Time

"Welcome to London, Usagi," Luna announced.

She and Usagi stepped through the door into an office hallway. Usagi shifted the bag she carried on her shoulder as she looked around.

"Uh, this doesn't look like a Joe's," Usagi remarked.

"It's not. We made this Connection special for tonight. Welcome to The Keepers British Branch, just a few blocks from the palace. I'd have just taken us to the local Joe's, but it's clear across town. Anyway, we're in the back. I'll take you all to the lounge as soon as Rei and Makoto come through," Luna explained.

A minute later Luna was leading them through the halls that looked exactly like the ones back in the main base until they came to the employee lounge. Luna opened the door for them, letting them in. Like the rest of the building, it was plain as could be, tile floors of gray and white, plain gray walls, and a drop ceiling with florescent lights. However, there was plenty of room with a TV and plenty to read.

"Alright, I'll be back in two hours. If you get bored, remember that I made you all bring your homework. I'd recommend catching up on your studies while you wait," Luna said.

"Where are you going?" Usagi asked.

"The palace. I have to inspect our little additions to security before tonight," Luna replied.

"Are you going to mingle with royalty? Because I'd kind of like to get some autographs," Usagi asked.

"This is for _business_," Luna replied sternly.

She turned to leave, but all this talk of the royals made Makoto think of something.

"Speaking of the British Royals, think any of their princesses could be our Moon Princess?" Makoto asked.

Luna stopped, but didn't turn to face her.

"I don't know, but there's certainly a lot to choose from. Princess Diana, Duchess Camilla, and Duchess Catherine just to name a few of the women in the nobility, but I wouldn't look anyplace you'd expect to find a princess," Luna answered.

"Oh," Makoto said, sounding disappointed.

"Yeah, because looking in all the non-royal places of the world just narrows it down _so much_," Rei said acerbically.

"Hey, do we even have a landmark or something to know her by? Or are you withholding that little detail, too?" Usagi asked Luna, training a hard stare.

Luna wetted lips with her tongue as she mulled over how to respond to that.

"I don't…" Luna stammered.

"Yes?" Makoto asked.

"Well, I don't quite know. As for the thing I haven't told you, there are _some_ of the things I don't know if you'll believe, even now," Luna said rigidly.

"Try us. We need more to work with here. We're the ones serving as soldiers here, and tonight doing guard duty. Then we'll _also_ have to babysit this princess whenever she chooses to appear. Why is she so hard to find, anyway?" Rei said.

"Well, it's possible that a seal was placed on her by Her Majesty Serenity to keep her hidden from unfriendly eyes," Luna answered. "If that's the case, then it's unlikely that we can find her prematurely. We'll just have to wait for this turn of the tide our Queen spoke of."

"Maybe we have to Awaken all five Celestial Warriors, and _then_ the princess will show herself to us," Makoto suggested.

"That is a very real possibility," Luna said thoughtfully. "One we've considered many times, but it's pure conjecture."

Rei and Usagi sighed, disliking the answers just as much as the questions. If there were two things those girls were in complete agreement about, it was that a secret organization a thousand years old should know more than this. This Queen Serenity must have been very tight lipped about the details in her last moments for whatever reason.

"Fine. How about you tell us more about the enemy? What's this _darker power_ that's the real brains of the operation?" Rei asked.

"…I don't know," Luna said, and turned to leave once more.

"Really? Really?!" Rei cried, disbelieving.

Luna sighed. She stepped into the room letting the door close behind her. She realized that the girls weren't going to be satisfied without some kind of answer. She thought about how to explain it for a second.

"It's not that I won't tell you any more about that _thing_… it's that I _can't_! We have _just_ the vaguest idea of what it might be. We're not even sure what it looks like. The people who saw it weren't even sure of what they were looking at. It _defies _description. Thankfully, the seal Queen Serenity placed on it will hold it forever…if its followers _don't_ get their hands on The Silver Crystal," Luna answered earnestly.

"What happens if it breaks loose?" Usagi asked in a small voice.

Luna snorted out a humorless laugh.

"The End of All Things, or it hands Earth over to Beryl and her horde to reign over eternally," Luna answered.

"Is there even a best case scenario in there?" Rei said glumly.

"Not really," Luna answered solemnly.

With that, she left them alone. They set down their bags on a nearby table and went off to various corners of the break room. Usagi shuffled over to the TV and picked up the remote. Rei and Makoto busied themselves looking through the magazines to see if there was anything interesting to read. Behind them, they could hear Usagi channel flipping. Usagi's brow furrowed as she realized all the stations were in English.

["And now for something completely different!"]

Click

["Anyone want a jelly-baby?"]

Click

["Now, Baldrick, what begins with 'come here' and ends with 'ow'?"]

["I don't know."]

["Come here!"]

POW!

["OW!"]

"Ah, man! I can barely understand any of it! Why is all of this in English?" Usagi whined.

"It might have something to do with you being _in __England_. Come on, if you can't find anything on TV, we might as well get some social studies out of the way," Makoto replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the ballroom wing of the palace…

"They have snipers are watching from the roof, and of course, The Royal Guard will be here. We'll have men mixed into the crowd the same as the Warriors, and of course, several agents waiting on standby in the nearby streets and buildings. In all, between their precautions and our own, everything is as covered as it's going to get," the head of security explained.

Luna looked away from the covered display case holding the jewel to him.

"Thank you, that'll be all. Dismissed," she said.

He saluted and was left. Luna returned her attention to the display case. She stepped in close and lifted the rich, red cloth covering to get a look at the crystalline object underneath. It hadn't been disturbed. She covered it back up and smoothed out the wrinkles. Luna was worried.

"We just have to get through tonight and then we can get a look at it," Luna reminded herself.

"Fretting as always, I see," a quiet, gentle voice said from the entrance into the ballroom.

Luna glanced over to see who it was, and when she did, she gave a slight bow to person.

"Ah, Your Majesty, how are you this evening?" Luna asked respectfully.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal with me, Luna," the Queen said pleasantly.

She approached with a big grin on her face. Her entourage followed her closed on either side. She wore a simple casual midnight blue skirt with a matching blouse and light jacket.

"It's only right, you are the Queen of England now," Luna replied.

"I'm the Queen of England _now_?" Elizabeth chuckled.

"My dear, that's hardly news. Where have you been since 1952? Never all that. Goodness, let me get a look at you!" Elizabeth said.

Luna eyed her guards.

"Are they…?" Luna asked.

"Not Keepers, but they know enough and always keep quiet," Elizabeth answered.

She stepped in close. With one hand, she gingerly turned Luna's face to one side, then the other, giving her a close examination. Elizabeth shook her head with mild disbelief the whole. Between Luna's still pitch black hair and smooth, pale skin, she was the picture of a 20-something year young woman, except for the eyes. Oh, those eyes with the reddish-brown irises told a different story. They looked at least fifty years old than the rest of her, and that's not to mean that they looked aged in the physical term. No, they were the eyes of someone who has seen war and much of it.

"You haven't aged a day. When we last met, it was just shortly before my coronation. I knew you Lunarians live for ages, but this is still fantastic," Elizabeth gasped.

"You ever doubted?" Luna asked.

"No, but seeing does believing a lot of good," Elizabeth replied.

Then the queen smiled with a faint air of wryness.

"Is that old codger, Pious, still as inflexible as ever?" she asked humorously.

Luna smirked and let out a low chuckle.

"Yes, he never changes physical or otherwise. Well, alright, he is a little balder than before."

They both shared a good laugh at that one. Elizabeth turned to the covered case of the sapphire crystal.

"So could this really be it?" she asked.

"We don't know. I don't sense any power in it now, but that could just be because it's dormant. That's why we were trying to get parliament to give us permission to examine it. They ignored that request quickly," Luna said weightily. "Not that I can I blame anyone. It's not like we press the issue too much without flat out telling them that they might have something that puts nuclear power to shame in their possession."

Elizabeth smiled as Luna fondly one more time.

"It's good to see you again, Luna. Do try to make your next visit before another forty years passes, eh? You might be ageless, but I don't have another forty in me," Elizabeth said.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but…things happened," Luna said genuinely.

Then she turned away as her eyes turned dark from bad memories flooding her mind.

"I know. I understand. After my final assignment before retiring from the regional Administration Keeper…oh, I remember that one, The Great Siege of Atlantis. King Poseidon never did thank us for downing the Dark Kingdom's ship with our sub," Elizabeth said.

She shook her head slightly.

"But I am getting off-track. I'm very aware that the last days of The Underground War turned into Hell," Elizabeth stated.

Luna met Elizabeth's gaze again, looking into the matriarch's with the disturbed eyes of a veteran still suffering from the effects of a recent war.

"I know. I was there. Anyway, I promise, my dear Elizabeth, that if things had been different, I would have kept in touch."

"Then let us think of happier matters," Elizabeth said. "The Warriors have began to Awaken. That warms this old heart of mine."

Luna then smiled, very warmly.

"It does. Those girls have barely begun to realize their own potential and they already give me hope," Luna said.

Then she sighed, not out of weariness, but rather it was contented.

* * *

Jadeite straightened his bow-tie while checking himself in the mir_r_or. He stepped back and examined himself. His tuxedo now had all the little odds and ends straightened out. He put in his top hat, trying to decide to take it with him or go bareheaded. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Aqua his assistant standing behind him via the reflection.

"Everyone is in place for today's…festivities?" Jadeite asked without turning around.

"Yes, Master Jadeite. I was thorough in my preparations. You won't be disappointed," she replied, glancing down at the clipboard in her hands.

"Good. I'm counting on you," he said.

"You're too kind," Aqua said modestly.

"Oh!" she gasped, remembering something. "Master Jadeite!"

"Yes."

"Master Kunzite has convinced Her Majesty that this operation is too delicate for just one of her generals to fulfill. You've been assigned a partner," Aqua explained.

Jadeite briskly turned to her face, an icy glare in his eyes.

"Who?" he asked.

"Uh, well…"

"Speak up!" He shouted, causing Aqua to flinch.

"Now, now, you must go easy on the poor girl. She's just relaying a message, Jadeite-dear. You can be so inconsiderate sometimes," a voice from behind Aqua said.

Jadeite stiffened.

"Zoicite," he identified the source.

Aqua stepped aside, revealing the mostly healed general. Jadeite raised a surprised brow as he looked his comrade over?

"Oh, you don't like it?" Zoicite asked, sounding almost hurt.

"I suppose I should be asking why you were picked, but instead I find myself asking…why the dress?" Jadeite asked.

Zoicite laughed, holding the back of his hand over her mouth.

"Oh, ho ho ho! It's a matter of subterfuge," Zoicite answered.

He walked over to Jadeite. By now, he was off the cane, but still had a hint of a limp. As for his attire, he wore a white skirt that just showed off his all-too-feminine calves and white high heels. He had a matching white blouse that hung don past the hips and was tied around the waist a white belt. Around his shoulders rectangle shawl with leaf-like patterns and lastly, an extravagant short light gray scarf tied on one side so the ends rested on a shoulder.

He took a spot standing next to Jadeite.

"Won't we just make a cute couple!" Zoicite teased.

"No way. I'd rather not have Kunzite wanting my head delivered to him on a silver platter," Jadeite rebuked him fervently.

"Oh, come now, loosen up!" Zoicite said.

He wrapped his arm around Jadeite's and would not let go.

"Anyway, we best prepare to leave..." Jadeite muttered.

He looked towards his assistant. She was hiding her face up to just below the eyes staring the pair. Behind the clipboard, she was blushing looking on the "pair".

"Y-yes, Mast Jadeite," she stammered and ran off a bit too perfectly.

"What was that?" Jadeite asked, confused.

* * *

6:30PM.

"Alright, now focus on how you want to appear at the ball. As Celestial Warriors, you all have the power to alter your clothing," Luna instructed.

Usagi, Makoto, and Rei nodded. A huge smile crossed Usagi's face while Makoto and Rei stared trying to decide on a mental image of a dress they wanted. Thankfully, they were in the privacy of a dressing room, so no prying eyes would see any mistakes in the transformations. Usagi gripped the hilt of her weapon tightly.

"Change into a princess!" she muttered, concentrating more deeply than she did on most things.

She'd seen a picture of a beautiful dress in a magazine recently and just _knew_ it'd be perfect for the ball. One bright flash later and Usagi had changed into a fancy white dress. The skirt was double-layered. Both skirts had ruffles at the ends mere inches off the floor. A white sash belt fastened around the waist and tied in a big bow in the back. The strapless, low cut of the dress's top showed off a bit more than Luna was comfortable with. All around the top were ruffled red flowers of many, many petals. Detached sleeves came up just under the armpits. In all, everyone was just impressed that Usagi's first attempt came out very well. Usagi giggled looking down at herself and she began spinning in place, letting the skirt swish out a little as she went, the button of the skirts lifting off the ground revealing matching new high-heels. She quickly became dizzy and had to stop.

"Wow, that's a really pretty dress," Rei said in stunned surprise.

"I know!" Usagi chimed happily.

The others changed next. Rei's was red and Makoto's blue gown was so dark it could have been mistaken for black. Rei had triple-layered skirt. The outer part's red material was straight and came down just to her ankles. The white ruffles second and third layer poked out from underneath with the bottom one covered her feet. It was tied around her waist with a gold sash belt that tied into a ribbon to the right. The cut wasn't as low as Usagi's and it had straps. No sleeves for Rei. She had a pair of white ballroom gloves, a gold flower in her hair on the left side, and a red choker tied on with a bow at the front.

Makoto's dress was much simpler than the other two's. A very dark cougar blue, it was strapless like Usagi's, cut just under the armpits. It had arm loops that came out of the sides. Like the other twos', it was a single piece outfit, and the skirt of it only had one layer. Contrasting the dark blue, there was the image of a red rose surrounded by silver leaves that encompassed most of the skirt in front. She had a gold chain choker with a blue gem in the front that matched the dress.

Luna looked three over while they gushed over each other's outfits. In the end, she shrugged, deciding that was acceptable.

"Very good. You're all ready. Now if you'll wait outfit, unlike you, I _have_ to actually change," Luna told them.

"Wow! A ball! I knew we were going, but I'm actually in a pretty dress!" Usagi squealed happily as they exited out into the hall.

"I wonder if I'll be able to dance with some handsome rich lord," Makoto said, eye gleaming.

"We're here to do a job. Don't forget that," Rei spoke with authoritatively.

"Yeah, yeah," Usagi replied uncaringly.

"Just let me have my moment of bliss, will ya?" Makoto said annoyed.

A short while later, Luna stepped out of the changing room in her own gown, which was a simple if black form fitting dress that went down just past the knees. She was readjusting a strap as she came out.

"Wow. That was fast," Rei said.

"You learn to get ready quickly in this business. We're going to the parking garage. They have a car waiting. Tonight, we're riding in style," Luna replied.

And how Luna was right, when they arrived there was a limo waiting for them. The driver, a slim older man with white hair and hazel eyes opened the door for them.

"Next stop, the home of the Queen Mum," he said.

There were two pairs of seats in the back facing each at opposite ends of the vehicle with a lot of room in-between. Best of snacks, though, were the snacks and drink. Luna and Usagi took the seat to the back while Makoto and Rei sat just behind the driver. The car drove onto the streets of London. On their short trip, Usagi wondered just what a sight was in store. Could it be an awe-inspiring grand towering mass of decorated stone and stain-glass windows complete with spires that reached up into the heavens? Well, no. Instead of all that, what came into view was a mere three or four stories high if she had to guess. It had a very light gray color. Instead of towering spires, its rooftop was entirely flat. The building looked like one, big rectangle with windows and big black double doors in front. In all, Buckingham Palace was not overly impression from the outside.

"This is it?" Usagi asked, sounding very let down.

Luna laughed at her reactions.

"Sorry, but no forced-labor Pyramids today," she said smilingly.

"It looks like any other government building," Rei commented.

"That' because the legacy of free people isn't found in the grandeur of their architecture, but in the way that everyday people are treated and respected. It's the same way with the White House across the pond. The builders got a fair wage and the result is natural beauty. Besides, wait 'til you see the inside," Luna said, grinning the whole time.

The car slowed and came to a stop at the end of a line of limousines that were entering through the palace gate. There were many and lined up behind them. One by one, they were allowed in after the palace guards checked each invite until it was their turn. The driver stopped at the steps below the front entrance and let them out. The three teens were awe-struck by the sights already. Both seeing the palace closer saw a change in their attitudes and they'd never seen so many tuxedos and fancy gowns all in one place before. News vans lined the sidewalks and cameras peeked through the fence at the guests. They followed after the other guests into the castle.

Just outside the door, a look of alarm suddenly crossed Rei's features and she looked around with a deep frown.

"Hey, listen," she said to the others.

Usagi, Makoto, and Luna gave her their full attention and she leaned in to whisper.

"I just had a premonition," Rei spoke. "Luna was right. Something is going to happen."

"Understood," Luna replied.

They stepped inside. If not for Luna, Usagi, Makoto, and Rei would have stopped dead just inside the door. Makoto gave an impressed whistle.

"You said it," Rei agreed.

"The décor certainly leaves nothing to be desired, does it?" Luna asked.

The red carpet beneath their feet had a radiance reflected in the rest of the hall. Upon the white walls of the state residence were patterns and designs painted gold. The light fixtures were just as impression done in the style of antique chandeliers. At the heart of the elegance was a heart of royal authority.

"Alight, that's enough admiring the scenery. The ballroom is this way," Luna said.

The three came out of their reverie and followed her, but they did not stop taking in the interior of the palace as they went. Finally, they came to it. The vast ballroom. The speakers were already filling the room with a classical tune and some of the guests had already engaged in a dance. Tonight, it was furnished with a polished wood floor. The walls had the same white with gold pattern decorations as the rest of the palace. Sure enough, at the North end of the room were the thrones up on a short platform elevated above the rest of the room and right next to it was the covered case of the sapphire crystal, which was presently guarded by four men in black. At the south end was a large buffet table.

"Ohhh, wow! Would you look at that!?" Usagi exclaimed.

"Let's split up. We can keep an eye of things from all over the room," Makoto said.

"Amazing! This is just like in those foreign films about stuff like this!" Usagi cried, having paid absolutely no attention.

Rei rolled her eyes as she gave her sharp-tongued reply:

"Ugh. Come on. We think we'll work faster if we just leave her behind."

They disappeared into the crowd leaving Usagi alone.

"I'll find someone to dance with for sure!" Usagi thought and went into the crowd.

Right behind her, Jadeite entered the scene with Zoicite and Aqua each under an arm. By now, Aqua had on a gray dress and had her long, brown hair done up in a bun. From the crowd, Luna watched them like a hawk. She moved back t avoid detection, and to find the girls.

"Aqua. Go prepare," Jadeite ordered.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

She looked from him to Zoicite. Her face turned red again.

"What about you two?" she asked, uneasily.

"Oh, us?" Zoicite asked, huskily.

She stoked jadeite's chin once, causing the other man to pull away from the touch with a look of irritation.

"We're just going to have a little _fun_," Zoicite said and winked at her.

"Oh-oh, really? W-well, in that case…" Aqua mumbled.

"Have fun!" she said quickly and ran off.

Jadeite could only stand there looking puzzled at her behavior.

"What got into her?" he thought.

Zoicite rolled his eyes. Was Jadeite really _that_ clueless. Oh well, no matter.

Jadeite let out a surprised 'whoop!' as Zoicite dragged him out onto the dance floor and dragged him by both hands. Jadeite stood there staring at him angrily.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"Oh, why not?"

"You're enjoying this."

Zoicite chuckled and pulled his fellow shitennou along, enjoying every minute of embarrassed misery on Jadeite's face.

* * *

Usagi looked around miserably. Reality had just burst her bubble. She had yet to find a partner and worked her way through the crowd. She was starting to a get a little worried about this. No one had accepted an offer to dance from her, passing her up for older, prettier women. Then a familiar danced her way by. Usagi stared after them as she walked.

"Oh, lucky Makoto. She's already found someone," she thought.

Then she bumped right into somebody. The woman accidentally spilled her Champaign onto Usagi's dress.

"Kyaa!" Usagi screamed.

"Oh, pardon me! Oh, oh dear! Uh, hear!" the woman cried.

She handed Usagi a handkerchief, and the blonde started trying to dab away the stain while looking around frantically.

"Oh, no! Not good! Gotta find a bathroom! Bathroom" her thoughts reeled as she dashed off.

She ran right out of the ballroom into the hall they came through.

"Ah! Too many doors!" she thought mournfully.

Try as she may, she didn't find it and ended up back at the entrance of the ballroom. She back in.

"Luna, Makoto, Rei…where did you guys go?" she wondered, looking into the crowd and not seeing anyone she recognized.

How alone she was had become very apparent as she looked enviously at the happy couples dancing, chattering, or just having a pleasant talk at the buffet line. It was like peering in from outside.

"This isn't as much fun as I thought it'd be," she thought sadly. "All dressed up like a princess and no one wants to dance with me. Two weeks of practice for nothing."

She turned away from the ball, taking no notice of a single man leaned up against the wall watching her. He blinked in surprise upon seeing her face.

"That girl…" he muttered with recognition.

He knew that girl, and yet… The man groaned slightly as his head began to ache.

"It's like…a distant memory I'm trying to recall," he thought.

Again, the visage of that palace he'd seen in his dreams flashed before his eyes. He has the dark silhouette of someone standing before it, but he couldn't make out any features.

"I feel like I've seen her…a long time ago."

She slowly began to walk out of the room again, tears building at the corners of her eyes. This brought him out of his thoughts. Without wasting a second, he walked up to her. She didn't seem to notice him until he was right beside her. She jumped slightly in alarm.

"Excuse me," he said.

"Yes?" she asked.

The man wore a tuxedo and oddly, had a masquerade mask over his the upper half of his face. She tilted her head slightly, thinking this fashion choice odd. He held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance with me?" he asked, flashed a smile.

Then he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"My Pretty Suited Soldier."

This caused Usagi's eyes to widen in shock.

"Ph-Phantom…"

He held up a finger to his lips and winked. After a single moment's hesitance, she took it. The next thing she knew, he was leading her into a dance. For a moment, it seemed unreal and she could just follow him, dumbfounded.

"No way! Did I pass out! This _has_ to be a dream!" Usagi thought.

As they waltzed, Usagi started t smile and even laughed. She stepped in 1, 2, and 3s excitedly getting into the dance. As they stared into each other's eyes, they felt something. What, exactly, neither would ever be able to put into words. Whether a fleeting moment of joy or the kind of true love only spoken of in storybooks, it was there. For a moment, they were in another world all their own. Usagi yelped as he suddenly swept her off her feet. Coming to, she realized his face was inches from hers'.

"No one should have to be alone on nights like this," he said.

Then against all rational thought, he leaned forward and kissed her. Usagi's eyes at first widened with surprise, then closed, and returned the kiss. Neither could explain their actions. It just felt right, and it was almost a…familiar sensation. Then just as quickly as it started, they broke off the kiss and came out of the dip staring at each other, surprised at the other, and at themselves.

"Usagi!" Luna cried out, coming through the crowd.

Usagi jumped and looked over at her. She was followed my Makoto and Rei.

"Oh, Luna, don't scare me like that," Usagi said sharply.

When she looked back to Phantom Mask, he was gone.

"Mask?" she called softly, but he was nowhere in sight.

"What are you looking at?" Rei asked, trying to follow Usagi's gaze.

Usagi shook her head slowly.

"He-he was just here," she said.

"Who?" Makoto asked.

"Mask."

Luna and the other two blinked.

"How does he keep following us everywhere?" Luna asked.

She puzzled over it for moment before shaking the thought off.

"Oh, never mind! The Queen is about is unveil the crystal. Come on!" Luna said.

She pulled Usagi through the crowd towards the display case. The music stopped and was replaced with the voice of an announcer.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but if I may have your attention, please, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth will now unveil the sapphire crystal."

The guests quickly went and crowded around. Jadeite and Zoicite exchanged a look and followed the crowd.

Left-to-right, Usagi, Luna, Rei, and Makoto stood just on the other side of the roped of section mere feet away from the transparent display case. Everyone watched as the Queen stopped next it. Elizabeth glanced Luna's way and gave each of the girls a quick look. She smiled and nodded at each of them. Then she glanced at the crowd once more. Satisfied that everyone had directed their attention to her, she began her speech:

"Everyone, friends, family, ladies, and gentlemen," she said. "This rare piece was found by none other than Professor Roland Brown of the British Geological Society…"

Rei gasped and looked from side to side.

"What? What?" Luna asked.

Usagi and Makoto also looked at her intently.

"They're going to make their move very soon," Rei answered a whisper.

Luna took a deep breath to remain calm.

"Alright, draw your weapons. Be ready for anything," Luna ordered.

The girls nodded and silently called to their weapons but kept their arms at their sides. When they felt the cool weapon touch their hands, they wrapped their fingers around the transformation devices.

"…And so it is our pleasure to be the first present the sapphire crystal," Elizabeth finished.

She pulled off the red velvet covering on the case. Jadeite looked to his left and saw Aqua awaiting his order. A single nod. She returned it, acknowledging

"Wow! That thing's as big as a fist!" Makoto whispered.

A pair of servants unhooked the short, red ropes that barred the area to let a line of people through to get a closer look. The Warriors and Keepers stood ever vigilant in their watch the entire time. Aqua stepped right up next to the case. She looked from side to side as if to make sure of something before looking Elizabeth straight on.

"Your Majesty," she said to her and bowed.

Elizabeth nodded in response, but when Aqua raised her head again, she had yellow eyes. Then she and the surrounding nine people in line with her changed, ten of them in all, seven men and two other women. Their skin turned from normal human tones to blue and scaled and their hair coloring now matched. Though their size and shape did not change, their garb did. The fancy, formal turned to mist leaving behind scant clothes. The men wore armored kilts fastened in place with a sash, both the color of sea weed. The females had the same, though they also had tops that left the navels exposed. They carried weapons attached to their belts. Aqua herself had twin short swords while the other had swords, spears, and even clubs. The guests gasped in stepped back. Aqua let out a shriek that made everyone cover their ears.

"No! That's an Atlantian war cry!" Luna yelled.

Elizabeth retreated from the scene with her bodyguards. They were not pursued. The Atlantians weren't after Elizabeth. The royal guard sprang into action, training their guns on the scaly intruders. Before either side could begin, an explosion of light burst from amongst the crowd went them into an all out panic trampling over each other.

"A bomb! That must be a bomb!" someone shouted.

It was no explosion, it was the three Warriors. From where they stood on the sidelines, Jadeite prepared a bolt of energy, but Zoicite grabbed his wrist stopping him. He looked at the other shitennou questioningly.

"Wait. We'll just let them fight it out and retrieve the crystal from them if need be after they're bloodied and tired," Zoicite said.

"Hold it right there!" Moon shouted at sub-mariners.

"Take care of them!" Aqua ordered her accomplices.

Moon lunged through the air at a particularly large Atlantian male with a big club. He and Moon clashed and she was very surprised when he didn't budge in inch backwards. He smiled nastily at her and with a simple push sent Moon reeling head over heel across the room. Meanwhile, Jupiter and Mars had laid down a suppressive fire against the other five Atlantians which was _just_ keeping them at bay.

"On the ground, freaks! Now!" the guard captain shouted.

To their surprise, Aqua and three others leapt what had to be twenty feet in the air. They opened fire, but their bullets just bounced off their thick scales. The sea-dwellers crashed into the guard and smashed them against the wall with bone crushing force. Satisfied that they wouldn't be giving them anymore trouble, Aqua turned away from them. She froze when she saw it was gone and the glass case was lying on the floor.

"Hey, looking for this?" someone called.

Aqua looked to her left at the course of the voice. It was Luna, standing on a window sill. She held out the crystal like she was tempting a wolf with meat.

"Let's take this outside," Luna said.

Then she summoned her spear and smashed her way through the stain glass. Aqua turned to her minions who were still battling Jupiter and Mars and the recovered Moon.

"That Keeper has the crystal! After her!" she ordered, pointing to the broken window.

The Atlantians disengaged their enemies and followed Aqua's lead. Mars sighed in relief that they were able to take the fight out of the building.

"Hey! Get back there!" Jupiter growled.

The Atlantians leapt through the window is a single bound each with Moon and the others close on their heels. Once outside, they could see Luna running across the lawn of the state house with Aqua and the other Atlantians in hot pursuit. Then, just as she was passing by a tree, there was suddenly ten Lunas. This did not make the Atlantians.

"The one on the innermost right in the real one!" Aqua shouted, having seen the others come into being.

Then something fiery collided with the ground right in front of them, which made them stop and avert their eyes from its brightness. When Aqua looked back at Luna and her copies, they had each taken to a different direction and she had no idea which one was real now. On top of that, she heard the pounding footsteps of the Warriors come to a stop just behind them.

"Ha! Try to figure it out now!" Mars said proudly, running a finger over her bow.

Phantom Mask stepped out from the behind the tree, his sword drawn.

"You will not claim the crystal," he said.

Aqua snarled. She instantly came to a decision.

"Kill them all. We'll hunt down the crystal later. There are just four of them, this will be easy," she growled.

"Make that five," Mask corrected.

There was the cry of a hawk from the darkness. His faithful bird of cry circled overhead, which made the sea-dwellers snicker among themselves before turning serious again. So there, before the eyes of the public and news cameras watching from the sidewalk and the windows of Buckingham Palace, four fighters on the side of humanity and ten sea-faring assailants began their battle.

The two sides charged one another. Moon squared off against Aqua and another female, who carried a spear. Jupiter and Mars were up against five of the lot: the large male with the club, his brother who carried to hammer, a smaller male with a sword, the other female with her whip, and the male with his ax. Mask was currently facing three, one with a pair of hatchets, another with a sword, and a third with a spear.

Mask measured up his chances against the three as they closed in. He held up his sword as if to attack with for an instant, but then just ran for it.

"Oi, get 'im!" Hatchet yelled and they gave chase.

Mask ran past the tree he'd hid behind before. When his pursuers had also under passed, a figure dropped out of the limbs behind the three Atlantians.

"IFRIT!" the person shouted and fire began pouring from her fingertips.

The pillar of fire flew at the sea-dwellers. They looked over their shoulder just in time to see it coming at them. They screamed and fled from it, ducking low as they went. Mask rushed them in their momentary state of distraction and cleaved the swordsman across the stomach, spilling its contents. He howled, holding his stomach as he collapsed onto the ground dying. The other two had recovered and were approaching Mask, infuriated.

"Two against one, that's just unsure," their surprise attacker said.

She stepped up beside Mask. It was Luna with her spear out and ready. She'd hidden up in the tree during Mars's little distraction. The Atlantian spear wielder smiled as her. She and him began to circle each other, leaving Mask with Hatchet.

* * *

Moon staggered back as another heavy blow from Aqua made her lose more ground. Aqua charged again, her arms were crossed over her chest but she unfurled them lashing out across with both her blades. Moon blocked by sweeping one of hers' across, but the sub-mariner's strike was like a wrecking ball that sent her sliding across the ground. Moon braced her legs against the ground to keep from falling over, but it was all she could do to not lose her balance.

She heard the incoming spear and stepped aside just before it impacted where she'd just been. She pulled it out of the ground and threw it at Aqua. She nimbly dodged the throw with a simple sidestep and continued her charge. Her partner retrieved her spear and followed suit. Moon's blades glowed as their energies were agitated. She sliced the air in front, cutting loose with an arch of dense energy. Aqua hopped over the arch, but her less adept partner took the full brunt was sent sprawling on the ground falling into unconsciousness.

Moon crouched low with her legs far apart in a loose stance. When Aqua bore down both of her blades at her, she parried bringing a blade down at an angle and sidestepped rather than take the full blunt of the blow. Even with the redirection of force, Moon's entire body shook from the force of it and her teeth even rattled.

"Damn, these guys pack a wallop! I would've been smushed like a bug if I took that hit full on!" Moon thought.

Aqua came in for another attack, aiming one blade high and the other low. Moon spun her own lighting them up with power willing them to explode in the direction of whatever hit them. The two clashed. There was an explosion of power that sent Aqua falling head over heel on the ground. She rolled onto her feet in a crouching position only to find Moon charging in.

Moon's blades lit up the night again and she spun them around at Aqua. The sea-dweller dived out of the way and Moon cut deep gashes into the ground. Moon chased after her opponent, keeping those blades lit up. Now she knew how to gain ground over the superhuman opponent before her.

* * *

Jupiter ducked to avoid the hammer and jumped aside to not get crushed by the club. The swordsman stabbed at her, but she jumped over the strike and came down with both legs on the sword driving it to the ground. Then she let its wielder have a double-fisted dose of elemental power to the face. He was thrown back as electricity coursed through his body. He came to rest on the lawn.

Jupiter saw the whip coming but had no time to dodge. One of Mars's arrows struck it, knocking it away. Ax-man rushed Mars with his weapon held directly over his head. He aimed to cut her down through the middle. Mars hopped, skipped, and jumped away with him right on her heels with swinging his ax at her all the way. Jupiter started to pursue, but Whipper ran into her path and she heard Hammer and Clubman coming in from behind.

She sneered at them. Whipper smiled back and lashed at Jupiter. Jupiter caught the blow with her foreman and tried to yank it from her. To her surprise, the female sub-mariner no bigger than her didn't lax her grip one bit and instead pulled her forward with one powerful jerk. Jupiter stumbled off-balance. Whipper pulled her weapon free of Jupiter's forearm and this lashed it around one of her legs. Jupiter's right leg was pulled out from under her and crashed onto the ground on her back. The other two were almost on top of her. She had to act fast!

She rolled onto her left side and withdrew her right leg close before kicking out with it at Whipper. Electricity coursed out from and her opponent was forced to fall to avoid getting a full charge. With a push of her arms, Jupiter turned herself around on the ground to face to the oncoming big guys. Clubber was literally right over her. She lashed out with another discharged aimed at his club, but all that happened is that the end burst and it caught fire. Its wielder staggered back.

"Crap! I knew wood isn't conductive!" she thought.

Hammer took his place and in her precarious position, she was forced to roll away to avoid getting her head turned to pulp. And she had to do it again as Clubman had recovered bashed the ground with his flaming club barely missing her. They gave her no room to get up and prepare a lightning attack and they pursued her, weapons bashing the ground right behind her as she rolled and rolled and rolled!

Finally, she stopped. They charged in, weapons raised over their heads. Just as they were bearing them down, she rolled towards them in so close the hammer and club went right past her. She rolled right into their legs tripping them up. Hammer fell onto his hands and knees but Clubman stayed on his feet, though stumbled. He turned round to strike before she had to chance to get up but she rolled onto her back facing him. She looked up at him with only seconds to prepare a countermeasure. With no time to think, Jupiter was forced to employ the one sure fire technique used by all women facing up against a man far bigger than themselves: her foot shot up and she nailed him in the groin.

He let out what could only be described as a mouse-like squeak as his club sailed off course and impacted nowhere near its intended target. It was jarred from his grip. Jupiter pushed herself off the ground with her legs. The third Atlantian's whip snapped out and wrapped around her chest. Before Jupiter could do anything, she jerked back and off her feet again.

"Ulp!" Jupiter cried before landing roughly on her rump.

By this time, Hammer had recovered. His feet pounded the grass. Jupiter looked up at him mere feet away. She was cornered, no plan, no backup, and she was in no position to defend herself. For the first time since becoming a Warrior, she panicked. She couldn't even protect her face with her gauntlets as her arms were pinned as her sides. She squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the final blow.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO I DON'T WANNA DIE! STOP!" her terrified mind rang out.

Suddenly, she was thrown back as the earth under her turned up. A pillar of earth and rock shot out at an angle aimed right at Hammer. Such force pounded against his chest and stomach that the ribs could be heard breaking as he was battered backwards through the air. As far as kick offs go, he cleared around twenty-five feet sailing over a nearby tree before slamming down just short of the palace.

Jupiter and the whipper both froze blinking dumbly trying to comprehend what had just happened. Jupiter recovered and disentangled herself from the whip. She looked down at one of her hands.

"Did I…no, I couldn't have. I can't anything bigger than pebbles move yet," she thought.

Clubber closed in growling and snarling. Jupiter looked from him to the whipper. She Raised her arms out in front and knocked her knuckled together a few times, letting off sparks each time.

"Alright, then, let's finish his," she said.

* * *

"Aaaaurgh!" Mars screamed whilst diving out of the way of the ax.

Ax-man swung it back and forth relentlessly after her and with frightening speed. He had her on the run. She tried to face him and ready to a shot but he was right on her. She ducked and tumbled away before breaking off into another run. The ax cleaved across just behind her taking with it a few strands of her hair. Ax-man grinned triumphantly. He knew how to deal with long range fighters. Get up close as quickly as you can and keep 'em running. She'd eventually wear down and he'd take that pretty little head off her shoulders.

Phantom Mask's hawk screeched overhead and towards Mars. He was diving straight for Ax-man. The Atlantian ignored the bird of prey staying focused on his target. He drew his weapon back to the side and aiming right for Mars's neck. He was almost close enough to behead her. Almost, almost… The hawk's talons shot out as it flew past her at him. Again, Ax-man ignored it. If he could catch up another few strides he'd have her.

The bird burst into bright light which vanished just as quickly. Ax-man was completely caught off guard as a full grown man in red armor flow right at him in place of the hawk. So on the back of his feet was he that he fell on his back when the man impacted with him. The man pushed off of him and flipped back in the air landing on his feet. The Atlantian looked at him.

"Orion the Huntsman?" Ax-man rasped.

Orion didn't response. He just notched an arrow as his foe rose to his feet. Out o the corner of his eye, Ax-man spotted Mars standing a fair distance off. He gripped his weapon tightly. Orion fired the shot, but it was intercepted skillfully. Orion fired another and then another, stopping after he'd shot a total of seven arrows at the blue scaled being. Each was chopped out of the air and fell to the ground harmlessly.

"What's this? Is that all the great Orion has? And Celestial Warrior Mars is too scared to put up a fight?" Ax-man asked, smirking.

"Not remotely, but her finishing move will deal with you better than anything I can wield," Orion replied.

Ax-man looked to Mars. She had a single arrow notched and upwards. She opened her eyes looking straight at Ax-man. He looked from Orion to her before charging towards, taking note that the Huntsman made no move to stop him.

"ARROW VOLLEY!" she shouted and unleashed it.

A continual stream of flame shot from her free hand which funneled through where the arrow had been. The stream of flame shot up into the air before breaking off into a hail of arrows and came down right at the Atlantian. His strides ceased before the oncoming storm as all fighting spirit faded. He screamed as the arrows struck and pierce his thick hide. He collapsed onto the ground and was thus engulfed in the oncoming flames.

Mars lowered the bow and looked to Orion. He nodded to her slowly. She returned the gesture and watched as he resumed the form of Mask's hawk and fluttered away.

* * *

Hatchet went into a spin swinging his little axes around in a relentless barrage. Mask was forced grip his sword at both ends tightly to block and parry against the torrent set against him. He watched his foe's movements closely. He was speeding up and would soon make a charging assault, after which, he'd have to pause. The hatchet came down from above, Mask blocked it horizontally, but the other swung in from the side. Mask parried it at an angle and took a wide step back anticipating his enemy's charge. Sure enough, the aquatic creature leapt off the ground to throw more weight into two swings at once. Mask dashed forward at him and sliced his sword around parrying both blows and ran past his opponent.

The Atlantian stopped and turned to chase after Mask, but he wasn't fast enough. He turned around just to get Mask's hand right in front of his face. Power flashed like a strobe-light in the sea-living man's face. He cried out and backed away wildly flailing one hatchet around while he tried to regain his night vision. He blinked off most of the effect of the flash and saw two identical figures squaring off against him.

"What? Is that the only trick you have?" Hatchet asked.

He ran at the two Masks.

"No matter! I've got two here! I'll just cut you both down so the real you dies no matter what!"

Both Masks stepped into defensive stances in preparation for the coming strikes. Hatchet's attack came fast and furious as he pounded down on them. The swords of both Masks ignited as they counterattacked. The ends of Hatchet's hatchets were cut right through. He gasped as the ax blades fell to the ground harmlessly as the twin Masks withdrew their swords and then stabbed him in the chest. He felt the pain of his mortality as he felt both blades puncture him. He sank down onto his knees when they with pulled free of him. The other Mask vanished, leaving the real one behind. Hatchet closed his eyes for the final time and fell over on his side.

* * *

Luna stepped in low thrusting at Spearman with her fauchard spear. He blocked with wooden end of his own while stepping in close to her. He flipped the spear over so the pointed end was aimed at her. He stabbed down, but she jumped back and ran around her opponent coming to two nearby trees. She leapt onto one and kicked off it launching herself into the air at Spearman. She held her spear high while chanting a spell.

He grinned, tensing his legs to dodge the attack and to impale her at the same time. He saw his chance! He dashed intending to go under her blow. He thrust up at her. But his spear shattered into splinters. She corrected her spear's aim and into his center it plunged. He could only manage a pained and startled grunt. She pulled it out and kept a close eye on him as he crumpled onto the ground.

* * *

Whipper slammed against the iron fence surrounding the palace and fell to the ground twitching. The bars hummed a little as electricity was discharged from her into them. Jupiter turned to face Clubman. Before either could do anything, one of Mars's fire arrows struck the handle of his club. It burst into small chunks of wood.

"Yeeee-owl!" Clubman howled, clutching his burned hand.

He glared back at Mars who came up behind him. She'd already notched another arrow. He looked to Jupiter, who again was pounding her knuckles together as if daring him to do something. He backed away before breaking into a full on retreat.

* * *

Aqua groaned painfully as she thrown onto the ground. She'd dropped one of her short swords in the fall. She reached to grab it, but when she did, the handle was so burning hot that she yelped and had to drop it again. She looked at Warrior Moon. She walked toward the fallen Atlantian slowly but steadily. Her double bladed sword hung at her side.

"Ready to give up yet?" Moon asked.

Aqua took note of her surroundings. Nearby, the Spearwoman was coming to rubbing her head painfully and Clubman was running up clutching his hand. The other Atlantians she'd brought with her, though? They all lied still on the ground without any sign of getting back up. And meanwhile, Mask, that Keeper, Jupiter, and Mars closed in around them.

"Aqua!" Clubman shouted.

He stopped next to her.

"Aqua! We've lost. We have to retreat!" he said.

As she stood and took in the situation she realized he was right. Spearwoman wobbled up next to her.

"Your orders, ma'am," she asked with an uneven tone.

"Servants of The Dark Kingdom, you are outmatched," Luna said. "Give up now and no more blood has to be spilled tonight."

"Give me a reason. Come on. Just give me one," Jupiter said dangerously.

Moon, Mars, and Moon remained silent and poised, ready for whatever decision Aqua came to. Mask heard Orion's hawk voice call out to him. He glanced at his partner as he landed on his shoulder. Aqua's posture went from fury to defeat. She began to speak, unwillingness in her words.

"Re-treat."

Aqua grabbed her belt buckled pressing something on it. The three disappeared, transported off to safety. The Warriors, Luna, and Mask relaxed, but still kept their guard up. Luna walked wearily over to the tree she'd hid in. She squatted down in front of a hollow at its base, reached in, and pulled out the real crystal. She stood and looked out at the streets of London at the people who watched them from the sidewalk.

"Girls, Mask, let's just get out of here before anything else happens," she said.

They took off in a dead run into the trees near Buckingham Palace, out of public sight, but not out of mind. Unknown to them, one small watcher followed after them utterly undetected. Through its eyes, others watched and would watch them flee well into their journey.

**A/N: **Zoicite's outfit is the same one he wore during his tenor in the original manga. I guess it's just a fact of life that with Zoicite, cross-dressing is just inevitable.

*= system/portfolio_item_ ?1276262106

And Buckingham Palace's exterior: .

**This is the corrected timeline for the chapters:**

Chapters 1 & 2, and a couple of scenes in 3: April 6th

Chapters 3-5: April 7th

Chapter 6: April 8th

Chapter 7: April 9th

Chapter 8: April 12th

Chapter 9: April 13th

Chapter 10: April 14th (first couple of scenes), and 15th

Chapter 11: April 16th-22nd.

Chapters 12 & 13: April 25th

Chapter 14: April 27th-May 1st

Chapters 15 & 16: May 3rd

Chapter 17: May 4th

Chapter 18: May 18th (Night of the Sapphire Crystal's Exhibition)


	21. Chapter 19: Mercury: Sage of Water

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**LoveintheBattleField: **You know it!

**Drew L.: ***evil cackle*****

**Totemo Omoshiroi: **I was waiting for someone to catch the _Blackadder _reference.

**Chapter 19**

**Mercury: Sage of Water**

Friday, May 21st, 3:30PM

Naru walked down the street, once again with her head trapped deep in her thoughts. Today Usagi would be going West again to England to attend a ball and protect that crystal. She wished she could go to a ball, but she didn't envy her friend her task. From the sounds of it, things were going to get heated over there. Naru had prayed for her friends' safe return and hated being helpless to offer them any aid.

Oh, that's right, Naru remembered. Usagi had detention for flunking that test. Naru bit her lip nervously. She hoped that wouldn't mess up their plans too much. As she walked, she was unaware of the follower stalking her every footstep implacably.

Nephrite quietly followed her, staring at the back of her head wishing to tap into the answers it held.

_"No. I'm serious. Don't get too involved. I know your interest in the Osaka girl goes deeper than what she may know and I'm warning you. She might __look__ like Mary, but she is __not__ Mary. Don't forget that."_

Jadeite's words had their way of sticking to Nephrite's mind in such a way he had not been able to rid himself of them. His observations of Naru had just entered their second week and there was nothing unusual about her so far. She also hadn't seen that Rui girl again since, so the enchantment he placed her racket was of no use so far. He was getting desperate now. He knew that Beryl would want results soon, and if she didn't get them, she'd close the operation declaring the entire thing a waste of time. She would rather her generals focus on their main duties than take on extra work that could lead to nothing. This was why he followed her this day. After a second week of having Jadeite's men have nothing to report to him, he was taking things into his own hands to make _something _happen. The plan was an "accidental run in".

Naru stopped at a street corner and waited for the light to change. This was his chance! He stopped next to her and waited for her to notice. Naru glanced at him when she saw the movement in the corner of her eye and initially looked back at the sign, which still read "Don't Walk".

"Wait for it," Nephrite thought.

After a moment, she looked at him again. This time recognition was in her eyes.

"Oh, hey, aren't you…" She asked, pausing because she couldn't quite remember his "name".

"Oh, have we met, young lady?" Nephrite asked, pretending to take notice of her for the first time.

He scratched his chin as if thinking.

"You do look familiar," he said.

"Masato Sanjoouin," Naru said, recalling. "We met a couple of weeks ago. You came to talk Rui Saiouji about sponsoring her. I was practicing with her. I don't suppose that's not much of a reason to remember me, though."

She sounded kind of sad at that last comment. Naru smiled a little smile at the man before her as his eyes trailed as he thought back. Then his eyes lit up.

"Ah," he said, and turned back to her. "You let me use your racket."

Naru felt her stomach go aflutter. He remembered her!

"Yes! Yes, that was me!"

"I'm afraid you've caught me a bit unprepared. You know my name, but I'm afraid yours' is a mystery to me," he said.

"It's Naru. Naru Osaka. Oh, how have things gone with sponsoring Rui?"

"Well, Naru Osaka. It's going well. Oh, look, we can cross now…"

Nephrite and Naru stepped out onto the street crossing to the other side.

"I just spoke with her coach the other way. They're coming to my office for an interview tomorrow," Nephrite explained. That part wasn't a lie.

"Oh, I hope you'll sponsor her! Rui's a real hard worker and you saw how good she is at tennis. And after your pointer, she's sure to be better than before," Naru said enthusiastically.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. I have every intention of sponsoring her. She has a lot of potential. I believe she'll go far," Nephrite answered.

Naru smiled, feeling very happy for Rui right then.

"Well, unless you're also heading over to that coffee shop, I'm afraid this is where we part ways, my dear," Nephrite, gesturing to the place just a few buildings down.

"Oh," Naru said, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Now for it," Nephrite thought.

"Unless…you want to come. My treat," he offered.

Naru beamed at her like he'd just offered her a recording deal with a major music company.

"I'd love to come!" she said.

* * *

"So…another warehouse?" Moon asked, surveying their surroundings skeptically.

"I didn't dare take us straight to Keepers HQ," Luna answered.

"Ah," Moon answered disinterestedly.

She yawned and stretched.

"Hey, stay alert," Mars said.

"I am. I'm just a little tired," Moon answered.

Mask appeared by her side holding a thermos out.

"Here, it'll help keep the edge on," he told her.

"Oh, romantic and he gives me presents," Moon said, taking and taking a swig from it.

She made a face, but swallowed the contents, anyway.

"Coffee, eh?" she asked.

"The fickle mistress of the night dweller," Mask said.

His eyes trailed around the inside of the space. It was empty, except for them, a round, wooden table and three chairs. Myddin, Pious, and Jocelyn were seated at three points around it and they were surrounded by around twelve or so figures dressed like hooded monks. Mask could see Pious giving him an intent, suspicious stare while Myddin and Jocelyn simply looked interested.

"High Keeper Myddin," Mask said to the elder. "I suspected I might meet you soon or later."

"Phantom Mask, our mysterious helper," Myddin returned the acknowledgement. "You're a most interesting fellow to possess such powers and always be on hand to help the Celestial Warriors. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Mask answered flatly.

Myddin nodded to him and then turned to Luna. She held up the sapphire crystal

"Ah, I see you're brought," Myddin said.

"Indeed, we have, but you probably already heard about the ruckus we made. It'll be impossible to suppress the media this time," she answered, a bit resignedly.

"No time to worry about that now," Jocelyn replied.

"So what happens now?" Mars asked.

Mars and Mask glanced down at the table itself. It had a round impression made just for the crystal carved in the center. This was surrounded by two seven-point magical circles with many symbols and enchantments engraved into the wood. They were drawn onto the wood in different color paint. One was purple, the other was yellow. The lights dimly lit the concrete and iron structure, casting an ominous glow on their situation.

"It's quite simple. When Luna places the jewel in the impression in this table, we begin an awakening ceremony. If the sapphire crystal holds any power at all, it will come forth," Pious explained.

"Oh, right," Jupiter replied.

Then she cautiously looked over a shoulder.

"And we stand guard while you do it," Jupiter said softly, eyeing every shadow.

"Correct," Pious nodded.

Luna set the crystal done in its designated place and motioned for the Warriors to gather around her.

"Alright, girls. Top form now, alright?" she instructed.

The Warriors nodded. Mask looked away from the table to a nearby corner. He walked over and positioned himself in it, leaning against the wall. He could observe the entire event from there. The Warriors took up position around the spell caster. Their eyes and ears were attuned to every sound in the room. Mask stood watch in his corner, silently observing the proceedings. But for all their caution, they again failed to spot their watcher. It looked down on them from a window. Though several yards away, its eye could see them clearly.

If they could see it, they would liken it to a large, floating lidless eye. Its presence was carefully masked and another watched through its gaze. From his station in a dark silent room, Zoicite meditated. He sat cross-legged with his hands folded in spell casting. Jadeite sat in meditation next to him. While Zoicite cast the Watchful Eye, Jadeite maintained the Complete Cloak around it. Each of these advanced spells apiece were difficult to maintain for a long period of time even for absolute masters of magic. To ask one spell caster to maintain both for any longer than 15 minutes would result in the complete collapse of their mental reserves. So they sat in silent quiet cooperation, waiting and watching.

Myddin, Pious, and Jocelyn linked hands around the table. Their supports did the same. They energies tuned with each other and the magics within the circle. Then as one, they began to chant.

"Nethlek ~ Pargon ~ Redgormor ~ Pargon ~ Pargon ~ Serenity ~ Pargon," they toned.

With each verse of the spell they spoke, a different point in the purple spell circle began to glow as did the connecting lines. Upon the last verse, the entire thing was lit and the power all flowed into the crystal. And it was done. The jewel briefly glowed before it faded.

"The seal has hopefully been dispelled now," Myddin said. "Now to reveal the truth."

The casters continued their work and began a new chant.

"Narokath ~ Pargon ~ Santak ~ Pargon ~ Pargon ~ Serenity ~ Pargon," their voices spoke.

This time it was the yellow magical circle. All the points glowed and then that light glowed into the crystal. It shimmered in the dark as the magics course through it searched for the secrets power that might be within it.

Moon glanced over her shoulder at get a look at the proceedings.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now the waiting game begins," Luna replied.

Minutes passed. An hour. Moon began shifting back and forth on her legs as boredom set in. Her eyes drifted around the room. She looked to Mask, who hadn't moved a muscle since this began. Jupiter, Mars, and Luna stood vigilant in their task. The fifteen casters around the table were steady in their course. Finally, Myddin broke links with the other two. His head fell forward as he shook his head.

"Nothing. This is a mere jewel. Like any other."

Moon's eyes fell to the ground. She didn't know how to feel about this. She looked over at where Mask had been. He was gone.

"Of course. The mystery man always leaves after everything's over. What did our kiss mean to him?" Moon found herself thinking.

Mars sighed and her body stiffened. The fighting would go on. Jupiter and Luna didn't seem to react at all. Myddin stood and pulled the crystal out of the middle of the table. He reached up and pressed his earpiece.

"Captain Maddock. The Silver Crystal has not been found. You and your men need to return the sapphire crystal before it's too missed by its owners," he said.

"Yes, sir," came the captain's reply.

The men guarding the warehouse came in and placed the sapphire crystal in a metal case that was cushioned inside. Mars looked angrily from them to Luna. Moon hung her head, visibly disappointed that they hadn't found the Silver Crystal.

"So that's it, then? This _whole_ thing has been one colossal waste of our time!" Mars exclaimed caustically.

Luna actually winced at her tone. Jupiter took this opportunity to interject.

"They didn't know. We have to explore every avenue until we find the right one. You know that," Jupiter said.

Mars returned her words with a fierce scowl. She crossed her arms over her stomach.

"If we have to do this every time someone finds a pretty rock, we might as well just surrender because I don't see how we're going to be able to do this and have enough time and energy to keep up the fight," Mars replied with a heavy earnestness.

Jupiter put her hands on her hips and was about to argue back, but Luna held up a hand to stop her.

"No, she's right. We are going about this wrong. As it stands, the entire hunt for the silver crystal has turned into a mad chase with both sides turning over every 'rock' that they find," Luna said thoughtfully.

Moon looked from each of her comrades to the next before looking at the ground miserably. Myddin spoke next, but Moon only looked at him through the corner of her eyes.

"Yes. Perhaps it is time to reevaluate our strategy. The solution, in retrospect, is unlikely to be as simple and yet, fruitless, as picking through the world's supply of precious stones and until we happen upon the right one. The answer lies somewhere, though," Myddin said.

He leaned his elbows on the table.

"Yes, perhaps the answer is right in front of us," Myddin whispered.

While they pondered, Moon yawned deeply. Luna noticed it and looked over at Mars and Jupiter as well. Mars was blinking off sleepiness while Jupiter had taken off her mask and was rubbing her eyes.

"Whatever we do, it can wait for now. I have to get this lot back home," Luna said.

She waved to her fellow before leading the girls out.

"Until next time," she said.

The trip home was unexciting and by the time they returned to Makoto's apartment, they were just dead on their feet. Makoto flopped down on her dead in her clothes. Usagi and Rei plopped onto the cots next to the dead asleep before they even hit the pillows.

* * *

Jadeite rose to his feet, and helped Zoicite to his.

"So, the sapphire crystal was not what we seek," Jadeite said evenly. "Well. No matter. It just means they're no closer to their goal than we are to ours'."

"So optimistic," Zoicite teased. "But yes. Tonight's proceedings have been…less than fruitful, to say the least. I will report to Her Majesty. You best return to your search."

Zoicite vanished, leaving Jadeite behind. Jadeite scoffed at his departed partner before taking leave, himself.

* * *

Monday, May 24th, Japan Time

"What?! Oh, man, that must suck," Naru said sympathetically.

"Yeah, the whole thing was a total bust," Usagi responded hazily.

The two girls were once again on the rooftop of the school chatting during lunch. Usagi leaned her back against the rails. She looked tired to Naru, honestly.

"What's wrong?" Naru asked. "You want to talk about it?"

Usagi didn't answer at first. She just stared off in the distance with a wilted, bleary stare.

"Usagi?" Naru called to her with concern.

The blonde looked up at the clouds blanks. Her mind was obviously was lost wherever it had wandered.

"USAGI!"

Usagi flinched, her head snapping down to ground level and then settled on Naru in front of her. Usagi blinked.

"Oh, sorry, Naru. I guess I let my head go there for a second."

She tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but Naru wasn't biting. She looked really worried now. Usagi stopped laughed and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Yeah, something is wrong," Usagi began to spoke. Her voice matched her tired, dull expression. "I…I just don't know if I can keep going this. I mean…with Mako and Rei, I thought it'd get easier, but…"

Usagi chuckled hopelessly.

"Things are anything but! I'd hoped that our mission to London would end all this, but nope. Last night put something very important into perspective for me. This war isn't going to end anytime soon, even if we find the Moon Princess and the Silver Crystal. I…I just don't know if I can keep doing this all the time," Usagi said.

She slid down to the ground and sat with her knees pulled tight against her body. Her arms dangled limply at her sides.

"This really sucks," Usagi whispered and choked out a sob.

Naru then did the only thing she knew to do. She plopped herself down next to Usagi and wrapped her arms around her. Usagi leaned into her touch and the two girls sat there quietly with only the sounds of Naru speaking gently to her friend. Then for no explained reason, Usagi's eyes lit up.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you! While I was in England, I got to make out with Phantom Mask! It was my first kiss!" Usagi exclaimed excitedly.

"Wai-Hwh-Wh-what?"

* * *

"…the police are still baffled by the nature of the assailants who attacked the Queen during the exhibition this weekend. These beings appear to be a kind of reptilian humanoid covered in blue scales. The official autopsy reports are that these creatures a hybrid respiratory system consisting of both lungs and gills, allowing them to survive both under the sea and topside.

"Reports of the incident say that they were able to disguise themselves as regular people, so there is also no telling of how many others like that them there could be hidden in plain sight in London right now.

"However, no official curfew has been mandated, but government officials advice everyone to remain in their homes if possible until the situation has been sorted out," the news anchorman said.

The High Keepers watched the report at their table in the meeting room, each one having a different reaction to the news report from British Sky Broadcasting. While Myddin seemed ambivalent to it, Pious, Luna, and Artemis wore looks of concern, Kratos and Rusila were stoic as normal, while Wren looked bored and Jocelyn thoughtful.

The female co-anchor spoke now:

"Also remaining a mystery are the identities of the outlandish armored women that aided in the defeat of these aquatic attackers. The only other clues behind these warrior women currently are matching reports of sightings in Tokyo, Japan. According to the Tokyo authorities, these women, or possibly people from the same organization have also been seen fighting strange creatures there as well. There has been speculation going around that these new armored women are somehow connected with the now famed Sailor V."

"Now there have been rumors floating around about 'monsters' and strange occurrences for nearly a year now," the main anchor took over. "But this is the first time the authorities and public have been presented with indisputable evidence. This very likely explains the bizarre rash of deaths that have been happening worldwide."

"So the question of the hour is," the co-anchor said. "Are all these events connected? Are there higher forces manipulating these events from behind the scenes? Right now, the experts from all over the globe are being called in to hopefully give us an answer to that."

"One of these experts, a Dr. Samuel Washington will be speaking with us, so please stay tuned after these messages," the anchor said.

Myddin flipped off the TV and the Keepers turned from it to each other.

"Well, that's that. The public's found out," Pious said.

"Indeed, but I wouldn't worry too much about it," Myddin replied. "We all knew this was going to happen once The Dark Kingdom became bold enough. We shall stay focused on more pressing matters and leave ones we no longer have any control over alone."

"What about the girls?" Luna asked. "They've been exposed on live television now, too?

"What about it?" Jocelyn asked in reply.

Luna looked at her oddly, not understanding what the elder woman meant. Jocelyn smiled at Luna.

"It's better that the Celestial Warriors come to public knowledge sooner than later. It'll give them time to get used to the girls. We establish a positive public image for The Celestial Warriors by making it clear that they're here to help, same as we did for Sailor V. Now, we have business to attend to."

Luna still looked doubtful, but she didn't press the matter anymore.

"Usagi, Makoto, Rei, I hope Jocelyn's right about this," she thought uneasily.

"Anyway, it's a load off our back if we don't have to keep every little incident under wraps anymore," Wren said. "We can focus on dealing with the problem, instead."

Luna had hoped to keep the whole Celestial Warrior thing under wraps as long as possible to avoid putting them at any more risk than necessary. Now there'd be people out there trying to uncover their identities. It was bad enough with just Inspector Wakagi breathing down Artemis's neck, but this could become very problematic.

She turned her attention to the meeting, which was about reevaluating their search for the Silver Crystal.

* * *

Ami slipped a coin into the slot of the payphone and dialed. After about three rings, the other on the end picked.

"Dr. Saeko Mizuno's office. Mizuno speaking," a woman's voice said.

Ami hesitated.

"Hello?" Saeko asked.

"M-mom?"

"Oh Ami. Why are you calling me at work? Shouldn't you be on your way to the Crystal Seminar?"

"About that… My grades have all been straight A's. I don't think that I need to go everyday anymo…"

But she never got to finish.

"You're wasting my time for this?! I did not sign you up for that exclusive school just so you can slack off. Ami you have to push yourself hard if you really want to be a doctor as much as you say you do, Ami. It will require many hours of work. Now you get to class, young lady," Saeko ordered.

"I'm amazed you even remember what I want to be," Ami muttered bitterly.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing….er, yes, ma'am!"

"I thought so. If I find out you've been skipping to spend time with your _friends_, you will be in big trouble, young lady. Understood? Now get going. Oh, I almost forgot. I'm going to be out of the country for a few days. I've been called in with some other experts in my field to investigate the London Incident. However, I will be checking on your progress at school. Remember that."

Saeko hung up. Ami stood there aghast. She just couldn't move for a few moments. Though once she regained enough sense to hang up, her entire being seemed to shrink. She turned to face an expectant Makoto who waited nearby. Ami didn't need to say anything. Her body language alone told Makoto everything she needed to know. Makoto swayed to the right 'til she'd tilted her sideways.

"So you have to go, huh?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah…." Ami answered.

Makoto stood upright again, looking frustrated.

"Even after I told her how your work load there leaves you dead on your feet?" Makoto asked.

"_Pfft. As if I'm going to take the word of that brunette barbarian over the teachers at one of the most highly regarded institutes in the city!" _Ami recalled her mother's exact words. Ami simply nodded rather than tell Makoto what Saeko thought of her and her advice.

"But, hey, we can at least go to the arcade for a little while," Ami suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay!" Makoto replied, her mood lashing from gloom to giddy. "And today, I'll definite beat you at Street Fighter!"

"Great! We better get going, though. I don't have much time," Ami said and headed for the bus stop.

Behind her, Makoto's façade vanished to a look of worry. She had, from time to from, checked up on the brainy girl after her sessions at the Crystal Seminar. Each time she was utterly exhausted. Makoto had attended many a cram school, herself, and never had she seen fatigue result in such sheer amounts after a round of studying. She was convinced that there something wrong with that school, but had no proof to get Luna to investigate, and it was becoming clear that she was not going to be able to get Ami out of that place without drastic action.

* * *

"Ah, man! You beat me again!" Makoto complained

Ami giggled at her overwrought display of emotion. Makoto let a mischievous smile cross her face. She reached under Ami's armpits began tickling the smaller girl.

"Ahh! Mako! Don't do that!" Ami yelped and tried to break free of her grip.

Makoto had a firm hold of the wriggling and laughing girl, though.

"Tell me your secret, Ami," Makoto said.

"I play chess! (Haha!) I'm good at reading my competitors," Ami replied.

Makoto stopped her 'assault'.

"Is really it?" Makoto asked, astonished.

Ami held her sides gasping for breath.

"Yea-yeah. That's pretty much it. Chess…is a game of strategy."

Makoto leaned in until her face was level with Ami's.

"Teach me!" Makoto said, pretending to be needy.

Ami laughed again.

"Sure! I'll bring a chess set by sometime. Have you played before?"

"Yeah, but I'm not very good," Makoto replied.

"Well in the meantime, want to go another round?" Ami asked, pointing at the machine.

"Sure!"

Ami reached into her bag which was set on the edge of the console to dig out her wallet. She took out a few things to make looking easier, among which the crystal disc for her cram school. Makoto eyed it, considering taking it while Ami wasn't looking, but then thought better of the notion.

"Alright," Ami said, holding up two coins.

Her eyes happened to catch the clock hanging on the wall. It was already after 4:00PM and checked her wristwatch to confirm to the time.

"I've got to go," she said. "We'll have to do that next round some other time, Mako, sorry."

"Hey, there's nothing to apologize. See you tomorrow, okay! Now get. You don't want to be late," Makoto said jovially, holding both hands behind her back.

Ami quickly packed her things back into her purse. She clumsily stuffed in the crystal disc, but it fell out onto the console countertop when she lifted the purse off it and ran for the exit to make the bus. Ami called a quick 'goodbye' over her shoulder before running out the door. She'd just make the bus. Makoto picked the CD and was about to run after Ami to return it to her, but then a thought came to her. She looked around just using her eyes and stuffed the digital device into her own bag.

"Sorry about this, Ami, but grave matters call for extreme action," she said.

She hung the bag over her back and began to leave the arcade, herself. At the entrance, someone called to her. She froze, hoping that no one had seen her pocket the object not belonging to her.

"Hey, Mako, I didn't know you were here!" Motoki called.

She glanced over to him. He was seated on the floor in front of a crane game. Its side was opened up and a tool belt lied on the ground next to him. She could see him working away at something with a screwdriver.

"Hey, Motoki. That crane game still giving you trouble?" she asked.

"Yeah. I might end up having to just take it in to be replaced. I don't know why the coin slots just won't work," he said, looking at the machine utterly clueless.

He turned back to her.

"Was that Ami who just raced out? She was in an awful hurry," he said.

"Yep. Cram school. I gotta get going, too. It's not like I can beat any of Ami's high scores, anyway."

Motoki laughed.

"Yeah, I've never seen a newcomer take to games like her before. She is amazing. Well, see ya later, Mako."

He waved. She returned the gesture before heading out. Once out on the street, she made a beeline for the nearest phone booth. Once inside, she took out her cell and dialed up Luna.

"This is Luna."

"Hey, Luna, I was wondering if you could take a look at something for me," she said.

* * *

"Wait, that guy said [but], how is that talking 'bout someone's rump?" Usagi asked, scratching her head.

She and Rei were seated on a couch in the latter's living room watching the TV in English. Usagi was taking notes while Rei tried to walk her through the language.

"When you use [but] like that, it's indicating a contrast, like, "I like pizza, [but] hold the pepperoni"," Rei explained.

"_Hold the pepperoni_? Sacrilege!" Usagi cried flippantly.

"[But] you get the point, right?" Rei asked impatiently.

"I guess. The same word means different things depending on how it's used in English," Usagi said, moaned. "Oh, man, what kind of dumb language reuses the same word for different things? And I have to remember how the different spellings!? …Eh, what is the different between [but] and [butt]?"

"The contrast only uses one 't'. When talking about your ass, you use two," Rei replied.

"Gotcha. So what other words get repeated use in English?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Uh, well, there's [there], [their], and [they're]," Rei replied.

"Of, geez, how do you keep them all straight?!"

"It probably helps to be born into the language."

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Come in," Luna called.

Haruka let herself into Luna's office, looking a little lost.

"High Keeper Luna," she saluted.

"Ah, Haruka, right on time," Luna greeted. "Have a seat. I've been expecting you."

Haruka obliged, closing the door behind her and taking a chair on the other side of Luna's desk.

"Sorry I'm late. There was a traffic holdup. So this morning I got the order that I am to assistant you in all things concerning your mission and the Warriors," Haruka said. "What is this about?"

"Things have been getting more difficult lately on that front," Luna replied. "An extra helping hand would be much appreciated if you're willing to take the mission. I won't force you, however. I realize you have other duties that you would probably rather fulfill over this."

"No, you misunderstand. I just wanted to things to be clear. I'd be happy to help you," Haruka insisted.

"Good. Now, this is just for the time being. You will be able to return to your regular duties as soon as this is all over. With that out of the way, for our first order of business Makoto just called me a little while ago. She wants me to look at something for her. She should be here shortly," Luna said.

* * *

"Whew. I _just_ made it," Ami murmured.

She went over to her desk in the classroom. She passed each row of long tables with dividers set up until she reached hers'. Many of the students had already arrived and were working away at their computers. She set her purse down on the desk to retrieve her disc, but found nothing.

"Oh? My floppy's not here."

She glanced and did a quick mental run-through of the day. The last time she could confirm having the disc in her possession was… The answer wasn't coming, but she knew she had at least until after she left the arcade.

"Did I lose it somewhere between here and there?" she mumbled.

"I'd hate to think I lost it in a gutter for good, I have to give it back after I'm done coming here," she thought.

She swallowed as dread welled up. Her chest felt hollow like she'd just lost her heart. If she'd had to guess, she might say it dropped into her feet, went on past, and into the basement of the building.

"Well, I don't use it that much, anyway. It should be fine for this afternoon, but if I can't find that disc, I'll just have to fess up and face whatever consequences there are for losing it," she decided, trying to buck up.

A hand landed on her shoulder.

"Miss Mizuno," the teacher said.

Ami squeaked. She'd died a thousand deaths with that simple touch and slowly craned her head around to face the teacher trying to hide her guilt, convinced that she'd just been found out before she could properly explain herself. The teacher looked down at her grinning pleasantly, much against all expectation.

"Use the crystal disc and study hard," she said to her student. "You're on a scholarship, so you can't afford to get lazy."

Ami smiled weakly.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied.

"We have high expectations of you," the teacher said.

With one more approving pat, she left Ami alone. Ami let out a relieved sigh.

"I hate to say it, but that disc gives me a headache whenever I use it," she thought.

* * *

"So this is the disc you wanted me to look at?" Luna asked, turning it over in her hands.

Makoto and Haruka were standing on the other side of her desk.

"Yep. Now if you find something strange on it _will _you take a look at that school, please?" Makoto begged.

"Scout's honor, but where did you get it?" Luna replied.

"Oh, I, uh…" Makoto stumbled over her words.

"You took while your friend wasn't looking, didn't you?" Haruka asked.

Makoto cringed at the question, but nodded. Luna fixed her with an unimpressed look.

"Look. Every time I've seen her come out of that building, it's like all her energy has been drained, just like the Dark Kingdom's victims. Please, just take a look at it and if there's nothing suspicious on it, I'll return it to her and apologize. You can even have your new assistant make sure I do it," Makoto pleaded.

Luna sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it."

She rolled her chair over to the computer and popped the disc in. She started typing commands into the keyboard. Haruka and Makoto walked around behind her to watch over her shoulder as she booted up the program on the disc with her hands just flying across the keyboard.

"Wow, you're really something else, Luna," she said, impressed. "Knowing how to use computers is normal these days, but you're a real whiz!"

"Thank you. Annnd, the program should start…" Luna said. "…Now."

Some text scrolled onto the screen and it began emitting a sound. Makoto and Haruka had to hold their hands over their ears as the wailing pipe organ-like got louder and louder. Luna bore the sound while beginning to read the text. She angrily pounded her fist on the top of the desk.

"Damn it!" she rasped.

She looked back at Makoto.

Looks like you were right," she said.

"What is that sound?!" Haruka exclaimed.

Then a voice came forth from the computer speakers.

"Offer the energy of your brain and knowledge to our great ruler," the synthetic voice said.

"Oh, you have _got _to be kidding?! A brainwashing program?! This has Jadeite written all over it. This little scheme must have been cooked up before Zoicite and Nephrite started adding their little 'touches' to his operations in Japan," Luna said reproachfully.

"And we've been so busy with other things…" Makoto mumbled.

Then she gasped, clapping both hands to her mouth as she realized with horror…

"Oh, God! Oh, God! Ami's been using this thing for weeks now!" she shouted.

Luna picked up her cell and dialed up Usagi's number.

"Yello!" Usagi answered.

* * *

"What?! Okay, roger that. I'm over at Rei's, so I'll just tell her," Usagi said. "Okay, bye."

She hung and turned to Rei who looked at her attentively.

"What's up, another mission?" Rei asked.

"Uh-huh. Looks like we've got a brainwashing school to bust," Usagi said.

Together, both girls ran out the front door of the temple.

"By, Grandpa, Usagi and I are heading into town for a bit!" Rei called to Hibiki.

"Be careful, you two!" Hibiki called after them.

Usagi quickly gave her the complete rundown as they ran down the stone steps of the temple.

"I know where to find The Crystal Seminar!" Usagi said as they hit the sidewalk. "I've walked with Ami on her way there a few times."

Rei followed her over to the bus stop in silence. A serious frown adorned her features. It took her a while to find the words she needed to speak. She tangled a finger in her long hair as the worry on her became obvious.

"Usagi," she said without a hint of her usual sternness or snide sarcasm, but rather disquieted.

Usagi turned her and was a bit taken back by her. Usually Rei was such a headstrong girl.

"Listen, I know Ami's your friend…their hold over the students will be very strong after weeks of exposure. We have no idea how much damage they've been able to do to their minds…" Rei said, but stopped, realizing that she was putting this less than gently. She took a breath and finished, anyway.

"Look, just brace yourself for whatever they've done to her," Rei said with barely contained emotion.

Rei squeezed her eyes shut and smacked her forehead with her palm.

"Well, that was less than tactful," she thought.

"…I know. The bus is here. Let's go, Rei," Usagi replied with surprising calm.

The truth was Usagi was still digesting the news. That quiet and awkward Ami was being programmed into a potential enemy still didn't seem real to her. They climbed aboard and hoped they'd make it in time to save Ami.

* * *

"So, we're just walking in the front door?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," Luna and Haruka replied.

They walked straight up to the building not stopping for anything. The front of the building had large windows, allowing passersby to see inside. Only the receptionist was around. Posted by the door was a bulletin with a list of what was on each floor. Luna took note of the location of the computer labs and teachers' offices as they passed. The labs were located on the second and third floors while the offices were on the first. The receptionist looked up at them as they entered. A woman with black hair and matching clothes approached her while the four teenagers she was with lingered behind.

"Hello, may I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Why, yes, you can, in fact," Luna replied.

She leaned over the desk and grabbed the woman's forehead with her hand.

"Sleep," Luna commanded.

The receptionist's eyes closed and she slumped in her chair, entering a cycle of happy snores. Luna turned from her to the Warriors and Haruka. Usagi stared at the unconscious woman unhappily.

"Was that really necessary?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, who knows how long these kids have been exposed to this treatment. Rei, you're with me. We're going to take a look around the offices. Your sixth sense should sniff out anything out of the ordinary. Usagi, Haruka, Makoto, go check out the classrooms," Luna ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Haruka replied.

"What about her?" Usagi asked, pointing at the receptionist.

"She'll come to in a half hour," Luna said.

"Usagi! Ami's here, remember?" Makoto said urgently.

"Right, let's go," Usagi answered and followed the taller girls up the stairs.

She found it difficult to keep up with Haruka and Makoto skipped a step with every stride.

Luna led Rei through the entrance to the back just to the front desk's right. They stopped at the end of the hall of offices and other rooms.

"Alright, Rei, lead the way. If you pick up anything, _anything_ at all, just say so and follow your nose, so to speak," Luna said.

Rei nodded and began the slow trek through the hall, opening her mind up to anything that might be there.

* * *

Makoto was the first up the stairs. She was already in her Jupiter form and had covered the distance in a single bound. They were at the end of the hall, so she was able to just able to begin looking in windows trying to find Ami. Haruka stopped at the first window while Moon peered in the second. Looking in, they could see the students working away at their computer, though something was a little off. Not a single student ever took their eyes off the computer screens even once as kids were wont to do. Moon tried pounding on the glass. The students didn't react, not whatsoever, apparently entranced by their task. It was very obvious that something was wrong. There wasn't even a teacher in that room.

"She's not here!" Jupiter called halfway down the hall. "Third floor!"

Moon and Haruka followed her.

"Found her!" they heard Jupiter's voice call faintly from upstairs.

"Great!" Moon cried. "We're coming!"

They came to the top of the steps to find waiting for them at the door opposite the steps.

"She's in there," she said.

Jupiter pulled the door open and went in. Usagi took out her hilt before following. Only the teacher and Ami looked up from their work at them. The teacher looked each of the three apparent nurses that had barged into her classroom.

"What in—" the teacher stuttered to a stop.

"Who are you?" she asked again, in a much more polite manner.

"The Celestial Warriors, ma'am," Moon answered. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to call off today's lesson and send these kids home."

"Celestial…Warriors…" Ami murmured.

Under different circumstances, she would have stood up and told them not to interrupt their studies, but seeing two armored women bust into the classroom made the petite girl remain quiet. The teacher stood there speechless as well.

"Crap, it's them! I'd better keep my cool if I want to keep my head," she thought.

"Now you listen here-" the teacher started to say.

The entire student body rose to their feet in unison, except for Ami, who looked around at a loss.

"Children, there is no cause for alarm! Get back to your studies!" The teacher ordered.

The students lurched forward as if the walking dead.

"Oh, no, not this again," Moon muttered as the student body began piling through the rows towards them with out-stretched arms.

Moon's blades reformed into their wooden bow form and Haruka sheaved her sword and unbuckled it from her belt, intending to wield it like that. Jupiter and reshaped all the sharp edges on her gauntlets, greaves, and boots until they were all rounded and smooth.

"Children, what are you doing?!" the teacher shouted at her class.

"They can't hear you in that state," Jupiter told her. "They're under someone else's control."

Jupiter rushed towards Ami before the empty-minded students had a chance to get all the way around rows of divided desks at them. Ami backed away from her, but Jupiter jumped over the top of the desk and grabbed a tight hold of them.

"Aaah! Let me go!" Ami shrieked as she struggled against Jupiter.

"Stop it! I'm here to help!" Jupiter said.

She bear-hugged Ami and launched herself back over the desk to the front of the classroom before the smaller girl another chance to fight against her again. She landed next to Moon and Haruka. Ami pushed herself free of her and looked her over in utter shock at the physical stunt just performed. By this time, the teacher tried to block her students from coming any nearer.

"What is wrong with them!" she cried worriedly before looking over her shoulder at the Warriors.

"Get away from them!" Haruka shouted.

She rushed forward and pulled the woman away out of reach just in time as one of the male students had almost had her. Haruka shoved her in Ami's direction.

"Take her and get out of here!" Haruka ordered. "We'll handle them!"

"Handle them _how_?!" The teacher demanded suspiciously.

"We're not going to hurt them if that's what you're asking," Moon replied.

Then Moon approached the first of the entranced teens and jabbed him in the gut. He doubled over, winded.

"Much, anyway," Moon added.

"Go! Now!" Jupiter ordered.

The teacher nodded, grabbed Ami's hand, and fled. Haruka moved over so that she blocked the door. And with that, the three got to work dispatching the students non-fatally. Haruka kneed one in a pressure point in his midsection, knocking him out cold. Soon enough, they had stemmed the tide of the brain-washed middle schoolers.

"Only a few left. Let's take care of these guys and regroup with Luna and Mars," Moon said.

Haruka and Jupiter nodded. Oddly, the students weren't advancing on them anymore.

"That won't be necessary," someone.

They turned to the doorway where the voice had come from and stopped dead in their tracks. The class's teacher stood in the doorway with an enormous and malevolent smile on her face. In front of her, clutched closely, she held Ami around stomach pinning her arms to her sides. She had a hand clamped over the girl's mouth. They could hear her muffled cried from behind the hand.

Haruka scowled silently at the supposed educator.

"Why you…" Jupiter growled.

"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't do anything stupid. You were so easy to fool," the woman holding Ami said. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to this girl, would you? Now…"

Her skin became as green and blue striped scales and she grew enough that she tore right out of her clothes. Her legs fused as one becoming a long, serpentine tail that she slivered on. Her head became that of a snake's, though her human arms, albeit scaled and muscular. By now, Ami was screaming terribly behind that hand, wildly thrashing about trying to get free.

"A naga," Haruka muttered.

"I think the situation is obvious," another voice said from the window.

The girls glanced behind them. Jadeite sat at the open window of the classroom, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.

"Throw down your weapons, or I'll kill the whelp," the naga said.

She released Ami from the hold she'd had on her only to dangle her by the head over the floor. By now, Ami was sobbing uncontrollably. She looked at Moon and the others pleading for help.

"What'll it be?" Jadeite asked.

* * *

Rei stopped suddenly. She was in the doorway of one of the empty. She whipped around apprehensively.

"Rei?" Luna asked.

"Something's going on upstairs!" Rei said.

* * *

Haruka drew her sword from its sheave.

"I'll never get a better chance than now!" she told herself.

Moon and Jupiter looked at her with stunned.

"Hey, pay attention!" the naga yelled.

It dug its nails into Ami's head, causing the girl to scream.

"Hey, you stop that!" Jupiter shouted.

Haruka was off like a shot. She lunged at Jadeite, her sword held up high to cut him down. An aura formed around the blade, an enchantment meant to kill beings like him. Her feet left the ground and she was about to bring it down on his head. All the while, he didn't move.

"All the better!" Haruka thought as she began to strike.

But then something moved into her path. A blade was held up, blocking her own. Haruka crashed into her the person who stopped her assault on Jadeite. She stood there, utterly stunned and she was shoved back by this person. After stumbling for a few steps, she found her feet. She looked at who had blocked her path. Warrior Moon?!

"Just what do you think you're doing?! I had him right in my sights!" Haruka yelled fiercely.

"Me?! What do _you _think you're doin'?!" Moon roared back. "You heard them! They're going to kill her if we make any wrong moves!"

Haruka sneered at her.

"Stop being so sentimental! There's no room for that kind weakness in the ranks of the Keepers!"

"We're not Keepers," Jupiter said plainly.

"We're here to put a stop to their energy draining operation in this school, _and _save their victims," Moon said.

Haruka just continued to glower at her.

Haruka looked behind her. Jupiter was standing just behind her with electric energy readied and _aimed at her_. Not far away, Jadeite and the naga watched this little display of discord with amusement. Ami looked in horror as her rescuers began to argue amongst themselves. Her breath quick, shallow little things as sweat and panic wracked her body. Without nothing to lose and all hope gone, she let the emotions bubbling within her cut loose and she let out a terrible, sobbing scream.

The naga yelped as her entire hand was suddenly enveloped in a stinging icy sensation. She dropped her prize on the ground. The loud thud Ami made against the floorboards everyone's attention.

* * *

Rei's steps faltered for a second, but she kept going.

"Rei?" Luna asked as she followed her.

"I can't be sure, but I think I just felt…someone like us," Rei replied.

* * *

"She's…glowing?" Jadeite said.

"What the…?" The naga muttered.

Moon, Haruka, and Jupiter were stared, knowing what that meant.

Ami crawled away from the creature on her hands and knees. She body shimmered in a dull blue light that was fast fading. The naga recovered her senses and made another grab for the girl. Jupiter was quick to spring into action. Leaping right over Ami's head she came at the naga with an electrified right hook. The naga flew back through the doorway and down the stairs opposite the door landing about halfway down. Luna and Rei, who'd become Mars by this point, had just rounded the corner.

"Well, it looks like we found the right room," Mars said and readied an arrow, aiming it at the serpent.

The naga shook off the dizziness, and looked up at Jupiter at the top of the stairs. She turned herself over so that she was facing downward and found herself face-to-face with Mars and Luna.

"Oh, poo," the naga muttered.

* * *

The instant Jupiter attacked the naga, Moon spun around and caught a strike from one of Jadeite twin blades and the other with her other blade.

"Haruka, get Ami out of here! I'll deal with Jadeite!" Moon ordered.

Haruka wordlessly obeyed. Ami looked to see the one who was willing to see her dead and recoiled from her.

"No! Get away!" she shouted.

"Come on! You're safe now," Haruka said.

She grabbed Ami and led her out of the room. The smaller girl tried resisting, but Haruka had her good.

"Oh, I _don't _think so!" Jadeite said, grinning.

Moon's eyes narrowed. She was unsure what he meant, but she knew he had something else up his sleeve. That's why she wanted Ami out of the building.

"The building's been locked down. Has been ever since we detected Celestial Warrior energy inside the facility," Jadeite said. "My reinforcements are on the way."

Moon's eyes widened before her features turned into a look of sheer determination. She had to quickly defuse the situation before it got any worse. Her blades gleamed as she lunged for the next attack.

Haruka and Ami dashed from the room as the sounds of metals clanging began. Jupiter looked over her shoulder at them. The naga lay dead on the stairs, a hold burned into her face from a fire arrow. Another armored girl in red along with…that college student staying over at Usagi, were at the base of the stairwell. Ami gasped, grabbed hold of the railing, not wanting to go near the beast. Her grip was surprisingly strong, stopping both her and Haruka dead in their tracks.

"It's alright, it's dead," Haruka said.

"Bu-but…" Ami mumbled, shaking her head.

Jupiter put a hand on Haruka's arm. She looked at the Warrior. A silent understanding that she'd get the scared girl moving passed between them and Haruka released Ami from her grip and ran back into the classroom to help Warrior Moon. When she reentered the room, Warrior Moon was narrowly avoiding stepping on one of the downed students.

"Tch!" Moon scowled at Jadeite.

He was driving her against the piled unconscious forms on the floor. She had to do something before things got too out of hand. She spotted the open window behind him and knew exactly what had to be done. She pushed against him before disengaging and rushing past him.

She ran straight for the window and jumped out it to the ground below. Jadeite smirked before following her. Haruka ran to the window and peered down at the scene below. Warrior Moon and Jadeite were circling each other, about to begin crossing blades again.

* * *

"W-w-what is going on here?!" Ami demanded.

She was on the landing between stairwells with Luna, Jupiter, Mars, and Haruka.

"Those creatures are enemies of humanity, and we're here to help," Luna replied.

"Enemies…?" Ami asked, wiping tears away.

"Yes. And you're just unfortunate enough in your lot to get mixed in these affairs," Luna stated.

"Oh, crap! Look!" Jupiter shouted, point go to the window behind them.

From the top corners of the window, they could see the tail of another naga go by. In another part of the building, they heard glass breaking as if windows were being punched in.

"Is that noise what I think it is?" Jupiter asked.

"Oh, _yeah_," Luna replied. "Company. It sounds like dozens of them could be entering the building. We have to keep this fight out of the other classrooms as much as possible."

Ami gasped, seizing up again. As her fright rose, so did something. Rei and Luna's whipped around as they felt. There is was again! Luna drew close to her.

"You…? Could it be?" Luna wondered.

Ami looked up at her and then around at the others. They all wore the same expression as if they were studying her.

"What is everyone looking at?" she asked.

She leaned away from 'Megumi' as she began smelling the girl.

"This scent…it's distinctly…Mercurian," Luna thought.

Luna and Ami's eyes locked. By now the sounds of the serpent people entering the building sounding was as a chorus of hissing and the sound of something sliding along the ground was in the dozens and coming ever closer.

"Ami Mizuno," Luna said.

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you want to live?" Luna asked.

"Eh?!"

"Luna…?" Mars asked.

Luna held up a finger to silence her. She never took her eyes off Ami.

"You and classmates are under attack by these monsters. Every student in this school has been wrapped in a scheme to steal human life energy to feed the hordes of a force called The Dark Kingdom," she explained.

"Their leader is that man from the room just back here," Jupiter added.

"And from the sounds of things, we're surrounded. We could _really_ use a hand right about now," Mars added.

"Our only advantage is that their leader is being occupied by Warrior Moon, one of our number," Haruka put in.

"We can use another fighter. These armored girls with me are the Celestial Warriors of the Cosmos. _You_ are one of them. You have a sleeping power within you that wield when it is awakened. Will you help us?" Luna asked.

"Wh-what? This is…oh…" Ami cried, feeling her head spinning from all this information.

Jupiter stepped in.

"Hey, Ami," she said.

She lifted her mask, revealing her face to the girl. Ami's jaw dropped.

"Ma…ko…to…"

Mars also took this opportunity to reveal her face.

"Rei Hino? The girl from the shrine?"

"Your friends can really use some help," Makoto said, lowering the mask over her face again.

"Now do you understand?" Luna asked.

"But…what I can do?" Ami asked helplessly.

"You'll see," Luna answered.

She laid her index and middle fingers on Ami's head and began chanting. The sounds of banging came from both the halls above and below them.

"Not a whole lot of time, Luna," Mars said.

Ami's form began radiating the aura of a warrior brightly. Ami gasped. Her body tensed as she felt the power surging through her.

"Luna…hurry!" Mars said.

Luna kept chanting, but before she could finish, the horde of naga appeared at the top of the stairwell leading up and base of the other. Jupiter and Haruka positioned themselves right in their path, holding aloft their means of attack menacingly. The nagas were all unarmed, but their dripping maws were all soaking in deadly venom.

"Screw this!" Mars shouted.

She shoved Luna aside and grabbed Ami, dragging her in close. Ami yelped in surprise at suddenly being yanked around.

"Wake up, will ya?!" Mars shouted, shaking the girl.

Ami looked up at the nagas and went stiff, her mind entering a frozen state. It was then that Mars remembered the day she was awakened. It took more than having the power within awakened by magic to bring the Warrior. It took an extra bit of surprise to make the heart jump. With no time and the enemies about to lunge, Mars did the only thing that came to mind. She slapped the other girl. Ami stumbled, coming out of her mind locked state, but no Warrior was coming out.

The nagas lunged above them lunged, but Jupiter had synched herself with the potted plant just beside the doorway. It suddenly grew and it branching tendrils blocked the snake people, however temporarily. Haruka and Luna were waving their weapons around trying to keep the nagas from below at bay.

Mars looked from them back to Ami.

"What will it take!" she demanded.

Not knowing what else to do, she leaned in and locked lips with the other girl. Ami let out a muffled cry in astonishment, her cheeks turning dark red. Her world spiraled around as she tried to comprehend the soft lips upon her own. Then the churning power within her returned with a vengeance. Ami broke the off the kiss and hugged herself as she felt a fierce, churning cool sensation shot all throughout her being. Mars felt it coming and stepped just as Ami's body exploded into the now familiar swirling pillar of light. The force of the Awakening knocked everyone on the landing away and even forced back the nagas. Mars caught herself and landed on her feet halfway down the steps alongside Luna and Haruka. Jupiter had been knocked against the steps leading up.

The window behind Ami shattered as the funnel-cloud of foggy light spun around her. From the sky outside came the recognizable sound of her transformation device whistling through the air. They could see the object rushing towards them and just as it sailed over Ami's head, her hand shot up and grabbed it.

There was another blast of the foggy white aura and before them stood Ami transformed. Her armor was blue and upon the brow of the masquerade-style mask of the upper half of her face was the symbol of Mercury. She looked down at herself in amazement, but all the more astonishing was the object in her hand

"Celestial Warrior Mercury," Luna whispered, a look of utter glee crossing her face.

"Is that a…?" Haruka asked.

"A harp?" Jupiter asked, looking at the golden instrument Mercury held.

The nagas hissed and snapped forward for another attack from both above and below.

"Welcome to the club, Mercury!" Jupiter said as she turned around with another energized right hook readied.

The lightning lashed out, shocking the entire front row of nagas. The ones behind them slivered past them swarming at Jupiter. Jupiter jumped. Mercury gasped seeing her friend about to be attacked by those snake creatures. Instinctively, her fingers prick the cords of her harp. In the air around, sharp icicles formed from the natural moister and with another prick of the cords in a sharp tune, they shot through, impaling the nagas.

Jupiter landed in front of Merucry, still facing the oncoming mob of serpent folk.

"Huh. Well, sword or harp, it certainly gets the job done," Jupiter said, impressed.

"I…don't know what I did…" Mercury said.

"Don't think. Just do," Jupiter said.

"Alright, this is the plan," Luna ordered. "Haruka, Mars, and myself from will these ones coming form below. Jupiter, Mercury, you have the third floor. Watch each other's backs now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the Warriors all replied.

And with that, both teams rushed their enemies.

* * *

Jadeite's feet slammed into the ground right where Moon's had beneath the third story window. He sprang up from his crouching position. She stood across from him in the back lawn of the facility.

"Always taking the initiative, and for what? Those weak children up there?" Jadeite sneered.

"Shut up," Moon said with distain.

"Getting testy, are we?" Jadeite replied.

Moon began moving to the side, and he moved in the other. They had walked a half circle around each other before they stopped. For just an instant, they were still, and they both dashed at the other. Jadeite's twin swords were drawn back and ready strike, as was Moon's double-bladed sword. She swung down angled to counter a stab from his right blade. He withdrew as he brought the other forward in its place. Moon spun the other blades bring her second one down parrying Jadeite's second strike.

She spun them again, shallowing their angle of descent. The first blade came down again threatening to split Jadeite's head. He raised both swords and caught the strike in an x-block, while leaning back and crouching as he caught it so that the blow would first slow before he brought it to a complete stop. Moon knew he was about to push her back, so she made her move.

She pushed forward, pivoting her body around. Her foot shot out in a side kick aimed right at his side. Jadeite jumped to the side to avoid the blow. Moon took her chance. She dug her feet into the ground and lunged again. She raised one of her blades straight up like she was going to try the same maneuver again. Jadeite smirked and raised his swords to counter, but instead of doing the expected, Moon swung downwards just before she reached, unleashing a wave of energy mere inches in front of him.

Jadeite didn't even have a chance to cry out, let alone make a move to block the blast, before it hit him. The wave caught him across the face, chest, and stomach and sent him reeling back until he slammed into the side of the building. He dropped both his blades and sunk to his knees. He pressed his hands to his hands and let out a loud cry of agony.

"AAAAAAURGH! YOU BITCH! YOU BITCH! YOU F$$#% % BITCH!"

He lowered a quivering hand from his face, revealing that the energy blast was sliced right through his left eye. The skin of the eyelid was broken and blood oozed from the wound. He bared his clenched teeth at her. His lips quivered and a brow twitched.

"You…" he growled like a demon. "I'll kill you."

He pressed a hand to his eye again and painfully stood up. He raised his arm, holding up his flat palm at her. Energy gathered in it and he unleashed the shot at her. Moon swung her blades, chopping the blast out of the air. It burst, but its force was divided, so it only served to knock her back a few inches.

In that single shot's place, were three more. Moon gasped and jumped over them, but Jadeite had calculated her actions and a fourth shot aimed directly where she was. Moon's body went into autopilot and she crossed her arms over her body to protect herself from it. It impacted her in her gauntleted forearms like a jackhammer. The impact and subsequent burst hit her like a jackhammer and sent her into the building directly across the way. She crashed into the red brick building and went right through the decaying wall into the building itself.

Moon sprawled out on the floor in the dark, abandoned building at the ground floor. The sunlight that streamed in through the hole her body made became obscured by the entrance of her foe. Jadeite looked down at his fallen enemy with a triumphant smile. With his remaining eye, he quickly surveyed the rotting interior of the old structure. He began giggling madly.

"A perfect resting place for trash! How about I bury you here?! Would you like that?! Would you like that?!"

With another round of insane laughter, Jadeite began shooting wildly around the interior, blasting out aged supports, collapsing walls of rotten wood and fungus-encrusted stone, and causing moldy floors to give in. All around, the building began to shake. The dust was kicked up and web began coming loose from their places on a ceiling everywhere.

Jadeite stumbled out of the building, having enough sense to know that his leaving should be swift. As he made tracks, he could hear the structure crumbling behind as it him. He took one more look behind to watch, but then stopped. The sensation hit him like cold fingers wrapping around him. Another of the Warriors had just been awakened.

"Like a cool ocean breeze. That must be Mercury. I'll have to kill them all…" Jadeite thought.

A bright light shining in the collapsing building behind him interrupted his thoughts. No sooner had he turned to get a look at it did the source of the gleam break out of the piling rubble. It was Celestial Warrior Moon! Her blades were held protectively over her head. Their power formed a canopy around her. Jadeite stood, dumbfounded, that she had managed to survive.

His confusion turned to fear as she aimed a blade his way. She gathered the energy used to protect into a ball at the tip of the blade. Jadeite quickly chanted a spell, knowing what was to come. Moon unleashed the fury of the condensed energy. At first, it retained its spherical form, but then split into dozens of small fragments all still zeroing in on him!

Jadeite threw up the protective shield spell. The small orbs of power pounded against the astral object, cracking it and driving it and its master back. Jadeite sunk onto his knees by the last of them. Moon rushed in right behind struck his force shielding with all her might. It was the last hammering she needed to break it. It shattered like glass and dissipated into thin air.

Moon kicked Jadeite into the chest bearing him onto his back on the ground. She leapt onto him and pressed the tip of one of her blades to his throat. He stared wide eyed up at her.

"I saw those snake monsters entering the Crystal Seminar," Moon said. "Call them off, and release the students from your spell. _**Now.**_"

Jadeite didn't respond. He did nothing until Moon jabbed him in the chest with her blade. He grunted in pain.

"I SAID CALL THEM OFF! FREE THE STUDENTS!"

Moon became acutely aware of a shadow that had fallen over her. She didn't need to look up to know that backup for come to Jadeite's aid. Her leap sent her up and slightly back. From her ascent, she could see who had interjected on her foe's behalf. It was another of the shitennou, Nephrite. His ax swing right where her head had been had reached its end and withdrawing the blade from its path.

Nephrite helped his friend to his feet.

"Yes! Thank you, my friend, now we can…" Jadeite started.

"We're leaving," Nephrite said.

"What?" Jadeite demanded.

"You're in no condition to fight. I'm taking you to medical bay, now," Nephrite stated.

Jadeite scowled, realizing that there was no use in arguing. Nephrite kept Moon visible in his peripherals the entire time. She didn't attack as he didn't think she would. He knew she didn't want two shitennou attacking her at once.

"Next time, Warrior Moon… Next time," Jadeite vowed as he and Nephrite teleported away.

"Damn!" Moon cursed.

She looked back towards the school. She hadn't gotten Jadeite to do either of the things she'd want him to. She took off running for the building, knowing that her friends were going to need her help with those snake creatures.

* * *

Jupiter rushed up the stairs. Behind her, the newly awakened Mercury strummed the cords of her harp. Jupiter reached the first naga and brought her arm up in an upwards curve pounding it on top the head. Her knee shot up and pounded its chin as hard as she could. The creature let out cry. Broken teeth fell out of its mouth. Another snapped its head forward at Jupiter. She ducked and it passed over her. The floating ball of water Mercury had summoned reshaped itself into a whip and walloped the naga back up where it came from and slamming into the ceiling.

The first nagas coming up the stairs were stopped when Haruka slashed her sword through the air right where their faces were headed, making them jerk back. Beside her, Luna used the wood end of her spear hit several in the side of the head in one sweeping strike before turning it before and goring another through the roof of its mouth. Mars's arrows sailed over their heads at the onslaught before them striking down any nagas that they could.

Haruka stabbed one naga in the chest, but another lunged at her. She moved to the side and rammed into it squashing its head against the metal railing and dislodging her with that movement as well. One came at her with its arms extended at well. She leaned forward thrusting straight out at it. It recoiled, but in doing so opened itself up a fire arrow in the face. Two other speeded in past it Haruka slashed down towards them but a third grabbed her arms and stopped her from completing the swing. The other two grabbed her legs and pulled them out from under her.

Haruka fell onto the stairs landing heavily on them. She let out a pained grunt and could only watch with dazed eyes as their heads jerked forward sharply. Luna's swept clear across skewering the first two and embedding itself into the third. Then she ducked low was an entirely rank of six or seven nagas threw themselves at the two woman, jaws open wide and unhinged, for the kill!

At the top of the stairs, Mars had her next shot ready.

"ARROW VOLLEY!"

A dozen tiny darts rained onto the charging enemy, tearing them down in their wake, before any room it had cleared was fast filling with more enemies. Mars sighed and looked around for anything that could give them an advantage. Her eyes landed on the sprinkler system overhead. This gave her an idea. She turned to Mercury just as a naga incased in ice fell to the ground next to her.

"Mercury, frost the place!" she yelled.

Mars drew back another arrow and fired it right at one of the nozzles of the sprinklers. It burst into a ball just under it. They heard a loud clicking noise as the system activated. It began to rain cold water down on everyone, filling the building with its cold wet embrace. Mercury played a quick tune and like clockwork, the falling froze into cold fog and sleet blasting the cold-blooded nagas. The nagas hissed in protest and pain at the sudden change in temperature. Many even collapsed from the shock to their systems.

Their movements became unsteady as their bodies slowed down. Jupiter was easily able to untangle herself from the coiling creatures that'd wrapped themselves around her. One by one, the nagas dropped to the ground and soon all movement in the building ceased.

"Ha-ha! Great job, Mercury!" Jupiter shouted exuberantly.

She jumped down the stairs and caught the other girl in a great big, embrace, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around.

"Heh…heh, glad to help…Mako…" she said.

"Hey, now, it's _Jupiter_ when I'm dressed like this!"

"Alright…Jupiter."

"Don't forgot, but it was _my_ idea that saved us all," Mars said, walking up to them.

"Oh, yeah, you did good, too," Jupiter said, flatly.

She set Mercury set.

"What, no bear hug and spin for me?" Mars asked deadpan.

"Great job," Luna congratulated them.

She and Haruka came up the stairs towards. Haruka extended a hand for a handshake, but Mercury backed away from her and Jupiter stepped in between them with a killer glare. Luna looked from them to her new assistant.

"Did...something happen while Mars and I were downstairs?" she asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact…!" Jupiter said firmly.

The coming blare of sirens interrupted her.

"Never mind! This will have to wait. Come on! Change back now!" Luna ordered.

"What about my classmates and the other classes?" Mercury asked.

"They'll be fine. The nagas only attack us and we'll be de-brain-washing them shortly. Now come on," Luna said.

Makoto and Rei returned to their civilian forms, but Mercury just there not knowing how to do it.

"Just picture herself as your normal self and concentrate on that," Luna said.

When Ami had returned to her original form, they rushed back down to the first floor, stepping over unconscious nagas as they went. As they rounded the corner to the back entrance, Moon kicked in the door blades blazing.

"Alright, jerks! I'm Celestial Warrior Moon, and in the name of…the…"

Moon looked around the piles of nagas out cold. She lowered her sword as she took in this sight. The gleam of their power dimmed, leaving them ordinary blades once more.

"…Eh…okay, that's new," Moon said, scratching her head.

"Usagi!" Luna called.

"Eh, hey, guys?! What's goin' on…? Ack!"

She was yanked back out the door by Luna in their trek out of the building.

"Come on. You don't need to still be here when the authorities arrive!" Luna said.

"What? Hey?! Who took care of the snakes?! What's going on? Why is Ami coming with us? Explain!" Moon demanding.

"Later, just change back and come on! We're leaving through…" Luna stopped dead in her tracks.

She turned to Usagi with a displeased look.

"Please tell me you had nothing to do with _that_," she said, pointing at the recently collapsed building.

"Eh…heh heh heh," Usagi giggled awkwardly.

**A/N: **I had meant for Haruka to be Luna's assistant much, _much_ sooner, but that little plot point just kept getting pushed back because I had other things in this fic that needed to get done.

And as of this chapter, this is officially the longest story I have _ever_ written.


	22. Chapter 20: Is Four Company or a Crowd?

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Sakuar: **Thank you again. I do intend to take the shitennou down a path not seen in either the anime or manga. That will come when it comes.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Always!

**SomeoftheFame: **I was hoping that the kiss would come off more as comic relief. Oh well.

**Drew L.: **Thank you. Oh, I have interesting plans for Ami-chan. ;)

**Chapter 20**

**Is Four Company or a Crowd?**

Beryl climbed the steps up to her throne. Nephrite's messenger had just called for another meeting. The four teleported to their place at the base of her throne and bowed. By then, Beryl was seated upright and proper and staring down at them from above as she always did. She looked each of them over. Kunzite, Zoicite, and Nephrite were all fine, but Jadeite alone was worse for wear. His face had a horrid scar starting from his left eye and continued down below his shirt collar. He now wore an eye-patch. By his side was his trusted assistant, Aqua. Beryl's brow rose as she briefly wondered why he'd brought her. She dismissed the thought quickly enough wanting to get down to business.

"Report," she ordered.

"Yes, my queen," Nephrite replied.

He stepped forward and out-stretched his right hand. In his palm materialized a black crystal. Beryl raised her own palm out flat and levitated the object over to her where it floated over her hand as she studied it.

"Ah, a tracking crystal with Seal breaking capabilities," she said.

She turned back to Nephrite.

"What is this for? Explain," she ordered.

"Of course. In my study of the stars searching for targets to draw energy from, I recently discovered that the Seven Great Youma have been reborn as humans on Earth," Nephrite replied. "However, I did not wish to get your hopes of their return up until I had a working means of tracking them prepared."

Beryl pounded the stone with her scepter once crisply, rising to her feet angrily. Nephrite's fellow shitennou looked at him, stunned.

"What I am to be told is not yours' to decide, Nephrite!"

"Yes, I understand, my queen. Please, forgive me, I meant no offense in keeping this information to myself, I was merely trying to be pragmatic," Nephrite said.

For a moment, no one moved. Beryl continued to stare down Nephrite, considering her options. Then at last she sat back done, though her fierce expression did not change.

"You are forgiven, but from now on, all matters of importance are to reach my ears," Beryl said.

Jadeite released a breath. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it. He turned to Nephrite with a faintly incredulous look.

"He didn't tell her weeks ago?" he thought.

Jadeite could see from Kunzite and Zoicite's stares that they were thinking the same thing.

"You may continue your report. I most desire to see The Seven Great Youma, our strongest soldiers from olden times, returned to our ranks," Beryl said.

"Yes, my queen," Nephrite bowed again.

"How will you track them?" Kunzite asked.

"It will not be easy, as their auras are faint," Nephrite replied. "They are buried within the humans they were reborn as. As such, they will be difficult to find. The Seal our old enemies put on them is strong and it will require a great amount of power to undo them, for it was the power of the Silver Crystal, itself, that was their undoing. Because of that, I'm afraid that it is likely that they will have also lost their memories as well, even if awakened."

"Damn that Serenity," Beryl muttered.

"We won the loyalty of the Seven Great Youma before, we can do it again," Zoicite said confidently.

"We have to find them first. The world is big and they could each be living in a different continent," Jadeite pointed out.

"Still, it will be a conquest worth our time to see the return of Entomon, Gargouille, Thurs, Binah, Alkimia, Jii-Oni, and Bakane. Our ranks would be considerably strengthened," Kunzite said.

"Indeed. How do you intend to break the Seals, Nephrite?" Beryl asked.

"With your help, m queen," Nephrite answered. "As it is, the black crystal lacks the power to override to Silver Crystal's influence, but if you were to enrich its power with your own, we would be able to free them."

"Very well," Beryl nodded.

She closed her eyes and placed her other hand over the crystal. The black crystal began to glow in her hand as its powers increased. When she finished, she released it. It floated back to its creator.

"It's Seal breaking capabilities have been raised tenfold. It will still be difficult to release the youma within, but it can be done," Beryl explained.

"Thank you, my queen," Nephrite said with another bow. "You will not regret this. And now…"

The crystal flew over to Aqua's hand. She caught the device.

"Jadeite was offered the services of his loyal servant, Aqua," Nephrite said.

"Very good," Beryl nodded.

She turned to Aqua.

"I expect you to succeed," Beryl spoke ominously.

"Y-Yes, your majesty," Aqua said bowed low. "I will not disappoint you."

"Very good. Dismissed."

* * *

Wednesday, May 26th

"Ah-Oh! I think I slept on that wrong," Kenji muttered as he entered the kitchen rubbing his neck.

"Morning, dear," Ikuko greeted him. "Have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready, and I am about to _try_ to wake up Usagi."

"You know, let me do that," Kenji said, and started to turn back towards the stairs.

He turned to see his daughter alarmingly already dressed and ready for school.

"Thank, but no thanks, daddy!" Usagi said cheerfully.

She dashed into the kitchen where Ikuko was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Did you pack my lunch yet? I'd like to get going!" Usagi said, stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth.

"Who are you and what have you done with our daughter?" Ikuko demanded.

"Ha ha ha, very funny, mom," Usagi replied dryly, grabbing her lunch and leaving.

The Tsukinos stared at each other, but eventually shrugged.

"Goodness, Shingo's not even up yet," Ikuko said.

"That _looked_ like our daughter," Kenji said as he looked out the window watching Usagi run down the street.

"Think that pod person has Usagi locked up in a closet somewhere?" Ikuko joked.

_Later, at school_, when Usagi arrived, only Ami and herself were there. The Class Representative hadn't even shown up yet. Ami was sitting at her desk staring out the window. It was a perfect time to ask her questions.

"Heeeey, Ami! And how are you today?" Usagi greeted, skipping up to her.

"Huh? Oh… I'm fine, I guess," Ami replied, looking up.

"You guess?" Usagi asked, teasingly.

"Yeah," Ami replied simply.

Usagi tilted her head to the side. While normally a quiet, one could still get more than this out of Ami most of the time.

"Is what happened on Monday… still being difficult to process?" Usagi asked.

Ami didn't response. She swallowed and her eyes drifted away.

"Ami…?"

"My memory of that night at Naru's returned in my dreams. I remember that creature in her basement," Ami said.

"The Rake," Usagi said.

Ami looked back at her again, utterly confused.

"He's called The Rake. Don't ask why. According to Luna, no one really knows."

From the hallway outside, they could hear more students arriving.

"We'll talk about your meeting with The Keepers later. Come with Mako and me to Rei's after school," Usagi said.

Ami turned red at mention of the girl who kissed her, and covered her face in her hands. She nodded, acknowledging the invitation, and Usagi left her to her flushes of embarrassment. The rest of the school day proceeded normally, and Ami welcomed it whole-heartedly. As opposed to the things she'd seen that seemed otherworldly, common everyday activities like being called to give the correct answer to mathematical equations at the chalkboard seemed like a breath of fresh air. At the end of the day, Ami actually found herself bracing herself for what might be waiting for her out there on the streets.

Ami sighed and then took in a deep and stood up straight and firm, gathering her nerve. She started gathering her things in her pack. She stopped momentarily upon seeing her transformation device nestled comfortably in the bottom of her bag. In its retracted form, it was a simple golden flute. She found it odd that it turned into an instrument she knew how to play when not a weapon to be used to command the force known as water. She tore her eyes off it and packed her books and made for the school entrance to get her shoes. Various doubts and fears swam through her head as she neared the shoes cubbies.

"What do I tell Usagi and the others? Can I really do this? I-I don't think can," Ami's troubled thoughts swan through her mind.

Usagi, Naru, and Makoto were against the wall right next to the door waiting for her. They were talking about something. While Usagi seemed enthusiastic, Makoto looked more uncertain, and Naru just looked glum.

"Oh, right, she knows about us," Ami recalled as she stopped by her shoe cubby and slipped off the plain white slip-ons and into her "outdoor" shoes.

"Oh, hey, Ami!" Usagi called.

Usagi skipped up to her while Makoto walked along behind. Naru stay put leaning against the wall. Her face read that Ami had her sympathies. There was also a hint of envy, too, though, oddly. Ami wondered what was going through Naru's head, but Usagi interrupted her thoughts.

"Ready to head out?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," Ami answered demurely.

"Then let's go!" Usagi said, grabbing her arm.

Ami let out a quite little cry as she was dragged out the door. Makoto watched with amusement as she followed.

* * *

_3, 2, 1…Ding!_

Mamoru opened the microwave and took out the piping hot water with a mitt and poured it into the instant noodles carton on the counter. Then while he waited for it soak, he went over to the phone and clicked "Messages".

"Hey, Mamo, it's me, Makoto. I was just wondering… Are you free this Friday after 4? Sorry to ask so directly, but I found a park that'd be just _perfect_ for a date. It's a very quiet and peaceful. Well, actually, a friend found it. She always goes there to read when she doesn't have cram school, but you get the point. Oh man, I'm rambling now. Anyway, call me, please. Seeya!" Mamoru grinned as the message ended. He had another, so he clicked the button again to keep listening.

"Hello, Mamoru, it's mom. I'm just calling to check up on you. It's been a while since we've spoken. How are things are the university? Are you taking care of yourself? Please call me back when you get the chance. Buh-bye!"

Seeing how he had no more messages, Mamoru went over and stirred the instant before returning to the phone with the first mouthful of the chicken-flavored strands in his mouth. He picked up the phone and dialed the number for his mother's phone.

"Hello, Kusaka residence. Misa speaking," said a woman in her thirties on the other end.

"Hey, mom," Mamoru said.

"Mamo! How are you doing? I'm so glad you called, sweetie!"

"I'm doing well, but how are you? How's your work at the Kisaragi Children's Center going?" Mamoru replied.

"Oh, it's good! Well, as well as things can be going in a center for troubled children, anyway. Right now I'm working with a case not so much unlike yours', actually," she said.

Mamoru fell silent. He swallowed a large gulp.

"Really?" he asked, trying his best to sound normal.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I know you don't like to bring it up!"

"No, it's alright," Mamoru said in a quiet voice.

Mamoru opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, and then forced the words out.

"How much…like me?" he asked.

"Well…a lot." Misa replied.

"Oh, right that patient-counselor confidentiality. She can't get too specific," Mamoru thought.

"Speaking of which…this Friday… It will be thirteen years since it happened," Mamoru said.

"I know. What are your plans?" Misa asked.

"Actually…I just got a call from a girl I've recently met," Mamoru replied.

"Oh," Miso replied knowingly. "Care to tell momma about her?"

Mamoru laughed.

"Well, for starters…" Mamoru began.

* * *

"Ooh, what a lovely shrine. I wish I'd come to this place much sooner," Ami said.

"Heh. How much sooner? A week sooner, or when people were being abducted from here sooner?" Makoto asked.

Ami turned from her admiration of the rustic setting to look at Makoto oddly. Then she remembered.

"Oh, right! I remember that! Was…the cause of that one of your…our…enemies?" Ami asked.

"Boy, was it _ever_!" Makoto replied. "We ended up in a frozen waste fighting the undead that time! Oh, well, at least that's when we gained Rei!"

"Frozen waste land…?" Ami asked.

"Oh, yeah, that's where they were taking the girls they abducted!" Usagi said off-handedly.

Ami stopped walked, looking very troubled.

"Oh, boy, look at the time, I think I need to get going," Ami said quickly and started to turn away.

But before she could get far, Usagi and Makoto hooked their arms under hers'. They smiled at her mischievously.

"And where do you think you're going?" Usagi asked evilly.

She looked from one to the other worriedly as they dragged her towards the front door and knocked on the front door. Yuuichiro answered the door.

"Ah, hello, Usagi, Makoto, and oh, who's this?" he asked.

"This is Ami, another friend of ours'. Is Rei home yet?" Makoto asked.

"Just got back a few minutes ago. She's in the den playing a video game," Yuuichiro answered.

He stepped aside and let them through. Once inside the den, sure enough they found Rei lying on her stomach facing the screen. Mario was stomping goombas on Yoshi's back.

"Guess whooooo's heeeere!" Usagi squealed.

"Hi, rabbit," Rei said absently.

She turned the game off and rolled onto her back to face the trio. While Makoto and Usagi had already seated themselves on the couch, Ami lingered by the corridor looking around the large abode. Rei propped herself up with her elbows.

"Ah, you brought the fresh meat," Rei said.

"Sure did! Now then, take a seat, Ami," Makoto said, padding the vacant cushion next to her.

"Oh, alright," Ami said.

She stopped next to the couch, turning to Rei.

"Do you want it?" Ami asked, gesturing to the empty spot between Usagi and Makoto.

Rei shook her head.

"Take it," she said.

Ami plopped down between Makoto and Usagi looking very uncomfortable all the while.

"What's got you looking so anxious?" Rei asked, rising up until she was seated cross-legged in front of the couch.

"Well, what are we doing here?" Ami asked.

"That's easy! We're going to talk about your place on the team now that you're one of us," Usagi answered, beaming.

"Oh, right…you're formally welcoming me," Ami said softly.

Rei and Makoto tilted their heads to the side in response to this reaction.

"So how did your meeting with The Keepers go?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, uh…it sure went," Ami responded, smiling weakly.

"What happened?" Rei asked, starting to get suspicious of the meek girl.

"Well, I…" Ami mumbled.

"Yes," the other three pressed.

"…You see, I…"

"_Yes_," they repeated.

"…Obviously, it was…a lot to take in…the…everything…"

"_**Yes.**_"

"Oh...well…"

"Oh, got on with it!" Rei yelled impatiently.

"ITOLDTHEMIDTHINKABOUTIT!" Ami blurted out and then clapped both hands over her mouth.

A moment passed, and then Usagi and Makoto burst out into laughter. Makoto leaned against the rest of the couch slaying out as she chortled.

"Oh, geez, is that what you were so having so much trouble saying?" Makoto asked breathlessly.

Usagi tapped Ami reassuringly on the shoulder.

"Hey, Makoto's the only one who jumped headlong into this, Ami," Usagi said. "It took quite a bit of convincing to get me totally on-board with this."

Ami looked at Usagi curiously

"What did it take to get you to willingly become a part of this?" Ami asked.

Usagi stopped giggling. Her face fell, becoming a much more seriously expression. She looked Ami straight in the eye.

"Well…" Usagi began.

She looked away briefly before making eye contact again.

"The simple fact is I don't have a choice…well, technically, I do, but only if I completely ignore my conscious and all those people out there who have suffered at the hands of The Dark Kingdom, as well as those are suffering, and will suffer. Also, it became clear that eventually, one of these attacks will hit near home again. Hell, Naru's been attacked three times already!" Usagi explained.

Ami's eyes widened.

"Really?!"

"Oh, yeah!" Makoto confirmed.

"And that the simple matter of fact is that these battles aren't getting any easier," Rei added. "We need another soldier out there."

Ami looked each of them in the eye before lowering her thought in doubtfully.

"But…how much help can I be? I don't even understand the whole thing. There are so many pieces of information missing. Why is this war still going on? Why does The Dark Kingdom even still care after so long?" Ami asked quietly, her fear gripped her more with each word.

"They want the power to control everything and they're dead set on it," Usagi replied. "They also want to release their leader, The Entity, from its prison, which will spell "goodbye Earth" if they succeed."

Ami didn't respond. She just stared off into space looking like a frightened child. Makoto leaned in closer with a look of concern.

"Ami?" she asked tenderly.

"I'm no warrior," Ami said.

"What?" Usagi asked.

"I'm no warrior," Ami said, more loudly this time.

Rei's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, now, don't talk like that," Makoto said, putting her arm around Ami.

"Yeah, hey, we know it's scary. _I believe_, we know, but we can't just back down from this," Usagi said kindly but resolutely.

"For not being a warrior, you sure handled yourself pretty well at that school," Rei said.

"Yeah! It just takes a little practice," Makoto said.

"I'm no warrior," Ami repeated.

She got up from her seat and headed for the entrance. Usagi, Makoto, and Rei stood up, about to go after her.

"Ami!" Usagi and Makoto called after her.

Ami stopped at the just before entering the hall.

"Look," Ami said, turning around partially to look at them one more time. "I can't. I…I just can't! I know this makes me look cowardly, but I don't know if I have it in me to do this! I don't even know _how_ I did that one time, let alone how I'll be able to next time! There are powerful, unexplainable dark forces at work here, and I want no part of them!"

Rei growled and marched right up to Ami.

"I have school and other things to worry about, so…" Ami said.

She never got to finish. Rei's hand shot out and she slapped the other girl across the face. Ami held a hand to her cheek stinging cheek and stumbled back from the raven in surprise and shock.

"Rei!" Usagi and Makoto cried disbelievingly.

Rei ignored and stepped forward again, pushing Ami against the wall and pinning her there.

"Now you listen here, missy!" Rei said commandingly.

Ami looked at her with wide eyes.

"You think you're the only one with a life to worry about here? Well, let me tell you something. Like Usagi said, there are people suffering out there, and worse! There people are _dying_ out there. The Dark Kingdom has infested every dark corner of the Earth and The Keepers can't stop them anymore. It's fallen to _us_ to protect the innocent and helpless form them. If we don't do this, then no one will, because no one else _can_," Rei told her furiously.

Ami looked away from her, letting those words settle into her mind.

"And not only that. I gave up _both _our first kisses to awaken you," Rei added.

She let go of Ami and stepped back.

"But no one can make this decision for you. Whatever. Walk away. It's no skin off your back, but it might be off ours'," Rei said, crossing her arms.

Ami looked down, visibly becoming shamed.

"You know, Usagi told me that when you first arrived at Juuban Junior High, you were lonely and friendless until Usagi and Makoto hung out with you," Rei said.

Ami looked up, her eyes welling up.

"You two best friends in the entire world are out there risking their hides every time the enemy feels like unleashing pain on the world and you're really going to sit on the sidelines?" Rei asked.

Those words hit a chord. Tears streamed down Ami's face and she began sobbing. Makoto walked over and wrapped her arms around Ami. The smaller girl buried her face in her chest. The three experienced Warriors stood in silence while Ami calmed back. Usagi gingerly stepped up beside Ami. She let out a quick sigh before speaking. Ami stepped back from Makoto, wiping her eyes. She looked at Usagi giving her full attention.

"Hey, I know it's not easy being called on for something like…this. But, at least you don't have to do it alone, like…Sailor V, and me," Usagi said evenly.

"Yeah, and we'll be right there by your side! I promise, as long as I'm around, I won't let anything bad happen to you," Makoto assured her.

Ami nodded. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She opened her eyes and looked at her peers again.

"I have to apologize," Ami said humbly

"Eh, don't worry about it?" Usagi said, shrugging.

"No, look, I'm sorry. And Rei's right. It's just that…this…oh, boy," Ami said.

"Yeah, been there," Usagi said, bluntly.

"Do you need a day or two to think about it?" Makoto asked.

Ami shook her head.

"No, I'm…I'm…" Ami said.

She knew that if she finished that sentence, she'd be committing to something truly frightening and spectacular, but her thoughts again drifted back to that night at Naru's house. She remembered running from the house, across the street, and into the neighbor's house. She recalled the bodies of the families that'd been massacred. She also pictured Usagi and Makoto leaving to go on another mission and never returning. She looked down at her feet. She sighed one more time in resignation, knowing what her answer had to be. The only answer she could ever give.

"I'm in."

* * *

9AM, Schwarzwald, Germany

"AARON!"; "Aaron!"; "Aaron, if you can hear us, please answer us!"; "Where are you, boy!"; "Aaron, please, come out!"; "Aaron, where are you?!"

The voices of the search party echoed through the dark forest. In fact, it was The Black Forest of the southeastern region of Germany along the Baden-Württemberg mountain range. The search party had just stepped off a dirt path through the forest and was braving its depths in search of a lost little boy.

"Aaron!" a young man around 20-22 years old shouted.

"Do you think he went this way, Christian?" his companion asked.

"I don't know, Jenn. Poor Aaron could have gotten lost anywhere in here," he replied.

Christian took long strides on his long, lanky legs through the foliage towards a large bluff covered in white edelweiss. His brown hiking boots took heavy steps over the grass. His jeans caught a bur, but he took no notice. A gust of wind managed to break through from above the tree line, rustling his blue jean jacket, fully revealing the logo on his white T adorned with the logo of his favorite basketball team, the Bayer Giants. The tall, skinny young man began climbing the side of the hill with Jenn right behind him. His shaggy dark brown hair fell over his piercing blue eyes and he had to brush it out of the way.

His long face wore a look of determination. The missing child, Aaron, was a cousin of his, one he was particularly fond of. Yesterday evening, he had gone into the Black Forest to play, but did not come back out. So here they all were looking for him. Christian actually lived in another village three hours away, but he'd come the instant his aunt Irma called him about Aaron.

His girlfriend, Jenn, had opted to come search for his missing cousin with him. Now, in any other situation, some would have found the height difference between Christian and Jenn humorous, with the former at 6'5" and the latter standing at only 5'4". Not today.

They leaned forward in their march up the sloop until they reached the top. There were no trees up on this mound, so they had pretty good view of the surrounding area. Alas, no Aaron. There was, however, a trail leading back down the bluff on the other side that led through a grove of trees. Christian considered the path for a moment.

"Hey! You two!"

Christian and Jenn looked back at the officer calling to them. He was standing at the edge of the trees they'd just come out of.

"See anything?!" he called.

"Not yet, Officer Lung!" Christian hollered. "But there's a trail I'm going to check out just on the other side this bluff!"

"Well, don't go too far off! We already one kid lost in this forest!" he called.

"Don't worry! We're just going to go to the end of this trail and back. If I find anything, I'll send Jenn to get someone!" Christian replied.

"Alright, I'm going to look over yonder through this animal trail," Officer Lung replied. "You two be careful!"

"I will, thanks!" Christian said.

He turned to Jenn.

"Are you ready?"

"Well, yeah."

"Good."

He took Jenn by the hand and they walked together down the path into the trees. The trail went in more or less a straight line for a while and then began to twisting and turning around the sides of hills. Roots stuck out of the ground right in it making the ground very uneven and difficult to walk over.

"Whoa!" Jenn said as she almost over a particularly large one.

"Careful! You okay?" Christian asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, we have to keep looking," Jenn answered.

Eventually their path went up another large hill, but not as big as the first. Jenn sighed and followed after Christian. He had to slow his pace for her to keep up. Unlike him, Jenn wasn't big on walks through the woods and wasn't used to this kind of terrain. By now Christian guessed that they must have walked a good kilometer or more. Some time had passed. When they reached the summit, they had a better view, but not so good as the first time around, as this hill did have some trees and fairly big ones, too.

Looking to his left, Christian spotted something out of place. Down beyond the base of the hill was a small hollow in the trees. He could a small square of bricks that had been laid down in the dirt, though since they were covered in mud and leaves, they were difficult to see. But that was not the hollow's most striking feature. In the middle of the square of bricks was a stack of rocks that had been put there by design.

"Hey, Jenn, look at this," he said, tapping her shoulder.

"What?" she asked.

She turned around and followed where he pointed. She spotted the oddity immediately.

"Is that…an altar?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it's the only thing we've found all day. Come on!" Christian said.

He headed for the small clearing, but Jenn hesitated.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked. "We could be messing with some freakazoid's cult worship site."

Christian didn't answer. He just waved for her to follow, which she did reluctantly. However, Christian did pause at the edge of the trees before entering the small opening. It was small, about fifteen feet in diameter and the brick ground had about twelve feet per side. Upon closer inspection, the rock altar was made up of several stones stacked up. The base was rectangular shaped with eighteen hunks of stones about the same size lined three-by-six, and a large flat, thin slab was laid on top of them. Another tall stone sat on top on the side opposite the two college students. A strange symbol was carved into it.

The middle of the top of the altar had something burned and blackened in the middle. Christian finally crossed the threshold. He went straight up to the altar to get a closer look at what whoever made it had burned. It was too small to be a child, so he hoped that this had nothing to do with Aaron's disappearance.

He looked at the symbol carved onto the piece sitting on the slab. He didn't know quite what to make of it. It looked like someone had begun to carve an image into it and then gave up only getting as far as drawing a circle and then x-ing it out. Christian lowered his gaze from the marking to the burned offering. He couldn't make out what it might have been before it was burned, so he reached over and picked it up. There was hardly anything left of what it had been, but he wasn't seeing the remains of human bones or…or…

He held up the blackened zipper that he'd picked out the mess.

"My God…what do you think happened here?" Jenn asked.

Christian looked from the burnt zipper out into the woods. There! Through the threes. He could faintly see something that looked like the white wall of a building. He turned to Jenn and handed her the scorched fastener.

"Jenn, I want you to take this back to the main group and get some officers to come with you," he said.

Then he pointed to the building in the distance.

"I'm going to check that out. Now, you'll remember the way?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?!" she cried disbelieving. "No way am I leaving out here when there might be crazy cultists running around!"

"Look, it's not dangerous. If there was anyone around who wanted to stop us, they'd already be up in our faces," Christian replied. "Please, I need you t do this. If this is the lead that finds us my cousin, we can't pass this up. _Please_."

Jenn still looked doubtful, but eventually nodded.

"Alright, but if anything starts to get dodgy, you get out of there!" she said.

"Don't worry. I can handle myself," Christian replied. "You'd better hurry. The longer Aaron's lost, the harder it'll be to find him."

Jenn nodded and headed back up the hill, leaving Christian by his lonesome. He took out his compass, noting the directions. The building obscured by the trees was directly to his northwest, so Christian knew that it was a simple matter of walking back southeast to return to this spot. With one more look behind to check on Jenn's progress up the hill, he started for the structure.

"Well, here goes," he thought as he trudged on.

The morning was wearing, it already after ten. He thought back on all the times he and his friends would come out into these woods and play despite their mothers' warnings. The Black Forest was never considered a safe place for anyone, especially children. Christian remembered fairy tales and other nonsense about the wood that he'd been told. In the old days, folk would speak of a great faerie that lived out in these woods that'd chase children who entered his domain down and would never stop until he had them. Christian knew a "be good or the boogey man will get you" story when he heard one.

"At least Aaron just got lost," he told himself.

His thoughts returned to his ten year old cousin. He was worried, very much so. The world just wasn't a safe place anymore, news of people being attacked in their homes and strange incidents all over. He just prayed that this wasn't one of them.

He was very near the building now and could see that it was a ranch-style construction. Rotted singles barely hung onto the roof and the white paintjob was faded and peeling. He walked all the way around it. There was but a single entrance, a door that was padlocked shut. The first thing Christian noticed about it was that the padlock retained its silvery color with just a few hints of rust around the edges. Someone had been using the building and recently. He looked up and just happened to catch sight of a familiar symbol on the door. It was the same crossed out circle that the altar had.

Christina's eyebrows furrowed. So it hadn't been a mistake that was crossed out, but an actual sign. For the life of him, he couldn't remember ever seeing a religious symbol like that one. He looked for any windows, but found they were boarded shut with plywood.

"Great, so how am I supposed to get in?"

He pounded on the door.

"Hello! Anyone home?! Aaron?!" he shouted.

That was when Christian's thoughts were interrupted. He realized that he was not alone in these woods. In surprise, he started, catching sight of another man standing out in the woods peering over at him from the trees.

"Geez, man," he snapped. "Don't scare a guy like that! Hey, who are you?"

The other man didn't move. After a moment, Christian wondered what he was going. Christian stepped away from the building towards this stranger cautiously. On further inspection, he could see the other man was tall, and it looked like he was dressed for business. He wore a dark suit and white shirt. He even had a red power tie. Christian considered the notion that this guy was out of his mind coming out into the Black Forest dressed like that. Maybe he owned the building?

"Excuse me, I said _who are you_?" Christian called more loudly this time.

The man didn't respond or even react. He continued to stare at Christian, stiff as a statue. Christian heard a 'thud' out in the forest somewhere behind and he turned briefly to try to find the source of the noise. When he looked back, he jumped. The man had moved in closer, somehow having moved past the trees and closer to him by a few yards without making a noise, and all the brief moment Christian was looking away.

Christian took a step backwards. He couldn't help but be a little unnerved by the way the stranger had managed to move so quickly and silently. His nervousness only increased when he realized how difficult to was to see the other man's face. Whether by the shade of the trees or the foggy weather, for some reason he was finding it difficult to pinpoint a single feature. And yet, he couldn't help but know it was him that was being stared at.

Then, the man finally moved in full view of Christian. His head twitched to the side with every step. It was like a bird dipping its down whenever they walked on the ground. The movement was just uncanny when seen on a human.

"Wha-Hey, is there something wrong with you?" Christian asked, sounding more afraid than he'd like.

Christian was backing up away from this odd man now. He didn't want to take his eyes off of him, but knew he'd have to if he were to make a run for it. Then the man's head suddenly burst into spasms, his head shaking violently in all directions. Christian let out a small cry and finally turned tail and ran for it. As he ran through the woods back towards the little clearing, he felt the eyes of the other man burning into the back of his head. He knew he had to get out of there!

Aha! The altar was in sight. Christian smiled knowing that he was on the right track, but his relief was short lived. As he ran closer to the ceremonial object, he began to hear a low hum, like a television picking up blank static, and it got louder and louder the nearer he drew to the place of sacrifice. By the time he was running past to get back to the hill Jenn had disappeared over, it was so deafening that he had to block the noise with his hands.

He ran clutching his palms to his ears. It was now like videotape tears with the set on full volume. He slowed his run to a jog as the noise was beginning to offset his balance. And despite the hot muggy weather, Christian's began shivering from an unnatural cold that set in around him. He picked up the pace again, putting distance between him and _that place_, and as he did, the noise got quieter. When he'd gotten back up to the summit of the hill and found the trail again, he was almost giddy. He didn't know what was up with the man back there, but he'd have none of it without the authorities with him.

Christian finally dared a look behind him, just to be safe. He breathed a sigh of relief when he did not see that strange man. Christian turned to head down the trail, and when he did, he screamed. No more than a few meters away, directly in the middle of the path he wanted to take, was the man again, but he was much, so much closer.

In the light of the late morning, Christian could take in the man's full detail now. His build was slim…no, in fact, it was _far_ too slim for a man, and he was abnormally tall. His arms hung limply at his sides and reached almost down to the ground. Around halfway, they parted into…fingers? No. Those couldn't have been fingers. Christian was sure of it. They didn't remotely resemble anything that could be called human appendages. They were far too many of them, and they were far too long. They began coiling and twisting around like worms, so there couldn't have been bones in them. Then similar tendrils began coming out of the man's back and began thrashing around like octopus tentacles. They were black, the same black as his suit, but that was IMPOSSIBLE!

Worst of was the man's face, or rather, his lack of one. The man's face was a blank slate. Where eyes, a nose, ears, and a mouth should have done there was just deathly pale skin over the whole thing. At last Christian understood what this thing was.

"Der Grossman…" Christian uttered in a tiny whimper. "Der Grossman!"

Christian's eyes grew wide, his skin turned cold and clammy, and he clutched the sides of his head as his mind tried to comprehend that such a thing could be right there in front of him, to make some sense of this…_being_. It was impossible that such a thing could exist! It couldn't! It was impossible! And yet there it was! He wanted so badly to rebuke it, to refuse it with all his reason. Then it began to move towards him, but it wasn't the same as before. It seemed to just float across the ground.

Something inside Christian, deep down and ingrained, activated. Instincts formed long ago at the dawn of man took over, telling him to run. He whipped around and began sprinting away again, away from the trail, but more importantly, away from _it_. He just had to fled, outrun it somehow.

Over run rock, bush, and chuckling brook he ran not caring what direction. The great black forest became more ominous and every tree seemed to watch him tear past through their branches. The world became a thing of grays, browns, greens, and a mishmash of other colors to Christian's panicked mind. Panting frantically despite being used to running long distances, he stumbled over a rock he'd overlooked. There was only a slight lull in his speed before he recovered and was dashing headlong through the brush again. He didn't look back. He never wanted to see that _freak_ again! Yet, he needed to _know_! He needed that it wasn't gaining on him, wasn't getting any closer behind! He needed to know if his efforts to put distance between them were doing any good. He dared one look back but saw only forest. That was no comfort to Christian.

"Oh God, oh no ohnoohnoohnoohno! Where is it? Whereisitwhereisit?!" Christian panicked mind wheeled out of control.

If it wasn't behind him, then just where was it?! Not having it in his sights was far more terrifying than having something to flee from that he could see every time he looked over his shoulders.

He passed through some long grass where the trees began to thin out. For a moment, his heart soared. In the open, he would see anything coming! Suddenly the earth ended right before him. He'd run right up to a ditch. He couldn't stop his sprint in time, but he tried anyway, tripping and falling over the side. He tumbled down the short, steep sloop and slammed into the sand and pebbles at the bottom on his back. He hit his head and everything became as whirling red and stars. He knew not how long he lay there, but when he finally opened his eyes again, _it_ was standing over him.

Christian's eyes widened and he tried to crawl away, but his entire body ached too much. He was shaking, still panting as he stared up at it, transfixed on its faceless head. Although it lacked eyes, he felt its stare burning into him. The creature's limbs, too long and too many, and too…_wrong_, reached down for him. Christian opened his mouth to scream, but his vocal cords produced no sound.

He felt the long tendrils wrap around his arms, legs, and torso. They hoisted him up off the ground bringing him face-to-face with it. The buzzing sound returned and this time it felt like it was penetrating his skull like a thousand needles. Christian's scream was loud and piercing. He didn't notice, but if he had, he would have felt his pants grow warmer as he released his bowels. There was another scream, louder and even more pronounced than the last, and then silence fell.

**A/N: **Hey, guys, if you're in the mood for more _Sailor Moon _alternate universes, you should read SomeoftheFame's _Cosmic Warriors_, found at: s/8886470/1/Cosmic-Warriors. Seriously, check it out. It's good.

While you're at it, check out Tenth Charm's _Sailor Moon _webcomic on deviantART: gallery/24619502?offset=72#/art/Ep1-Dreams-155800054?_sid=5100fc3. This is another fascinating look at the SM universe.


	23. Chapter 21: Threading the Strings

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Well, the reason I did Ami's scene the way I did is because I just can't see a non-confrontational person like Ami _just _agreeing to jump into a secret war.

**SomeoftheFame: **Thank you, I was hoping that the transition from Japan to Germany would be smooth.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Oh, I will!

**Chapter 21**

**Threading the Strings**

Friday, May 28th

Aqua stood on a street corner in her civilian disguise. Her hair and eyes were brown and her skin tanned. There was no hint of her true heritage right now. She was dressed like a business woman with sunglasses, a suit jacket, tie, and knee length skirt. She took out the Black Crystal from her purse.

"Show me where the first of the Seven Great Youma is," she ordered it mentally.

She held her palm flat, allowing the crystal to sit freely on it. The crystalline object began to move on its own accord spinning around and round trying to locate its target. Eventually, it slowed, pointed in a few different directions, and then settled with one end pointing with the tip glowing.

"Bingo," she said.

Aqua began walking down the street, following its direction. She pressed a device that was hidden in her ear.

"Master Jadeite," she said.

"Yes, Aqua."

"The crystal has already found a lead. I will need some kind of cover prepared once I've located the target," she answered.

"Very well. I will contact Zoicite and have something prepared by this afternoon. Just be sure you find them," Jadeite said.

"Yes, Master Jadeite. Aqua, out," she said, and ended the transmission.

* * *

Ami checked her wristwatch.

"Still another hour before that Kratos fellow comes to walk me through my abilities, I can get work done," she thought.

She was in the waiting room just outside of the Celestial Warriors' private training room. She had yet to see it with her own eyes, but from the others said, it was a sight of special magnificence. She pushed such thoughts out of her head as she dug a book, pen, and notebook out of her bag and settled to get some schoolwork while she waited.

"Luna also said that she wanted to give me something to help me with my duties as a Warrior. I wonder what," Ami thought as she dug into a book.

"So diligent."

A surprisingly happy smile crossed Pious's face as he happened to see the girl making good use of her time while she waited for her appointment on his way down the hall. The door to the waiting room was open.

"Hmm? Who's diligent?" the person next to him asked.

"The latest of the Warriors," Pious answered. "But we have more pressing matters, Professor Hollingshead. You have an update concerning your work with the stars prepared?"

"Oh, yes, well, I have discovered how The Dark Kingdom is targeting victims," Hollingshead replied.

Pious nodded as they continued on their way. Hollingshead, professor of astronomy, was an older man in his 50s, but unlike Pious still had a full head of hair, albeit it was very gray now. He was the same height as Pious, about 6 feet, and averagely built with a broad oval face and bright blue eyes.

They entered Pious's office and each took a seat. Hollingshead laid out the black briefcase he carried and opened it up. He took out a file of documents he had compiled and handed them to Pious. Pious took them out and began studying them. He unfolded a large piece of paper and looked at a several page long list.

"I see. These energy levels on this star diagram?" Pious asked.

"Indeed, they are," Hollingshead answered. "You will also find dates on which these people's energies will peak at their all-time high. It took _a lot_ of number crunching but I believe this is how The Dark Kingdom is targeting their victims, but if you look, the energy peek dates match the deaths of the three victims. The problem is what there are so many, hundreds of thousands, who reach their all-time energy high every day. It will be impossible to put them _all_ on watch to prevent further tragedies."

"Indeed, but well done, all the same," Pious answered, skimming the list.

He looked from the page to Hollingshead.

"The Dark Kingdom thus far has only targeted three people for energy draining out of all these multitudes of persons. Either they're looking for something in particular in their victims, or they're selecting them at random to make it impossible to know who will be next even if we discern how they're doing it. Then there is still the matter of other Dark Kingdom activity on days when they strike their chosen targets, and there _will_ be. They've been most careful about distracting the Warriors on those days," Pious said.

"Yes. A major issue to be sure, but that's all I have for right now. There lies the strength of their planning, unfortunately," Hollingshead answered.

"Very well, we will need to narrow the field if we can. I will bring in Dr. Zimbalist again as well Rei Hino and see if their intuitions cannot pinpoint who will be next," Pious said.

* * *

"You have everything?" Superintendent Sakurada asked.

"Everything," Wakagi answered.

He held up the stack of papers in his hands and tapped them against the side of the desk, straightening them out. He breathed a nervous sigh. He was in the Superintendent's office.

"What's this? Is Inspector Wakagi losing his nerve?" Sakurada joked, leaning back in her chair.

"Don't be stupid," Wakagi muttered. "I'm just not used to having to present findings to a bunch of eggheads like I will be this afternoon."

"Good, because I was hoping that taking the bodies of monsters and collecting security camera footage wasn't making you paranoid," Sakurada said.

"I _am _paranoid. It's just a matter of time before Inspector Ishida begins to suspect something," Wakagi replied.

"That's why we have to be careful," Sakurada said. "And make sure those files reach Dr. Mizuno's desk. She'd going to need them to prove her thesis to the other experts she'll be presenting this to."

"Yeah…" Wakagi mumbled.

He shook his head, looking disbelieving.

"What is it?" Sakurada asked.

"When did it come to this?" Wakagi asked, looking at the wall across from him. "When did…?"

"Eh?" Sakurada

He looked back at her pensively.

"I _am _an Inspector, a man of the law, right?" he asked.

Sakurada raised a brow.

"…Yes. What are you getting at?"

Wakagi looked away again as his worries started to weigh on him, and then he turned to her again.

"I've been taking evidence from crime scenes for weeks, and all because that damned Ishida is keeping us from conducting a proper investigation and keeping us all in the dark. When did protecting and serving start to entail going against every superior I have?" Wakagi asked desperately.

"When it became necessary, as you would have assured me of my doubts a few weeks ago," Sakurada said, becoming confused about this change of heart.

She wetted her lips thoughtfully, and then asked.

"Are you still going to do it?"

"Wha- Oh, yes! Too late to turn back now. Our governments have to know about these threats, and the sooner Dr. Mizuno can prove that they're arriving from the North Pole by…teleporting…somehow, the sooner we can get troops up there to sort it out," Wakagi said.

Wakagi held the files under his arm and bowed to his superior.

"I'd better get going," he said.

"Be careful, you never know who might be watching," Sakurada said.

Wakagi nodded and left. On his way out of the precinct, he passed Artemis in the halls.

"Ishida," Wakagi acknowledge.

"Wakagi," Artemis nodded in return as he passed him.

Artemis paused, glancing at the huge pile of paperwork under Wakagi's arm.

"Sakurada's really cracking the whip, huh?" Artemis called.

Wakagi nodded his head briskly and disappeared out the front door.

"Wow, he must have _really _been in a hurry," Artemis said.

* * *

"What?! No! Nono!" Usagi cried.

"Stop yelling! What is it?" Rei demanded.

Rei turned from the shooting game she was about to start the wailing blonde behind her. The blonde was directly across seated at the _Sailor V _console. One of her arms was pumping the air angrily. Standing next to her was Makoto, who looked giggling at the display. Makoto turned to Rei, grinning.

"She got Sailor V killed again," Makoto explained.

"Shoot! Okay, I'll have to get another 100 yen!" Usagi replied grumpily.

"Should you be wasting that much money?" Rei scolded.

"Too much on video games?! Never!" Usagi proclaimed.

"Someone's enthusiastic," Motoki said as he stopped next to the console Usagi was pounding away at.

Then he took notice of Makoto.

"Oh, someone's dressed fancy!" he observed.

Makoto blushed, looking down at her black skirt, white sleeveless top, and high heels.

"Oh, you noticed?" she asked, shyly.

"How could I not with most of the other customers are still in their school uniforms," Motoki laughed.

"Makoto's got a daa-aate," Usagi sang, making Makoto blush and look away at the floor bashfully.

"Oh, really?" Motoki said cordially.

"Yeah, I'm meeting him here," Makoto said, eyes fixed on the tiles.

"Well, that's nice. So who is he? One of the other regulars?" Motoki asked curiously.

Makoto looked at her and tilted her head in a confused fashion.

"You don't know?" she asked.

Motoki shook his head.

"Not a clue."

"Wow, I can't believe Mamo forgot to tell his roommate he's going on a date," Rei said, firing a shot at one of the on-screen targets.

Motoki was beside himself in utter dumbfounded silence. He froze in position staring at Makoto in shock and it was several minutes before he could speak again, and when he did, it was with stumbling words.

"I-wai-wha…" Motoki struggled to say.

He paused and tried again.

"Makoto…you are aware he's a college student, right?" he asked fretfully.

"Oh, _yeah_, been aware of that since our first date at the apartment!" Makoto beamed.

Motoki closed his eyes like his head pained him and held up a finger.

"Wait…he's 19. You're still in middle school," Motoki said.

"Oh, it's no problem!" Makoto said, shrugging.

Motoki still looked doubtful and he shook his head. Oh, he and his roommate were going to have a _long_ talk about this later.

"You don't approve?" Rei asked Motoki as he was passing.

Makoto glanced from Motoki to Rei and back. She looked a Motoki intently.

"Not one bit," Motoki replied. "You girls really should be seeing guys your own age. It's none of my business, I know, but this is just asking for all sorts of complications you frankly don't need right now."

"Bleh, I have no interest in boys. I'd pick a man over some kid any day, too," Rei stated nonchalantly.

Makoto looked away, shrugging.

"Relax, Motoki. I know you've got our backs, but I can handle myself, really. You don't need to worry about me," Makoto said.

Motoki sighed again, and nodded. He wasn't convinced this was a good idea at all, but he could only do such much to stop it without butting into someone else's business too much.

"So how long have you known Mamoru?" Usagi asked over her shoulder.

Motoki paused, quickly doing the math in his head.

"Oh, about four years. We met in high school and were lucky enough to end up roommates in college. Though I don't know why he decided he wanted a roommate. He _could_ afford high end apartment by himself if he wanted."

"He could?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, he comes from a rich family," Motoki explained.

With that said, Rei mentally kicked herself for not moving in on Mamoru before Makoto did. Makoto on the other hand, had turned away from the others to smile ear-to-ear.

"Cute, smart, _and _rich! Jackpot!" Makoto mind's did an inner squee.

"It sounds like he's well off, so why do you seem so concerned for him?" Usagi asked.

"Well, that's a long story. One that should be left to him to tell," Motoki answered.

Makoto turned back to him, looking interested.

"Is it something really bad?" she wondered.

Before she could ask, Motoki's caught sight of an empty crane game machine.

"We'll have to talk about this later. It looks like Crane Game Joe did it again," Motoki sighed.

He headed over to the back of the store fishing a set of keys.

"I'll see you around," Motoki waved.

"Hey, Yuki, we have to refill Joe's latest conquest!" he called for his coworker while heading for the back.

"Buh-bye, Motoki…argh! Not again!" Usagi cried as Sailor V perished again. "Alright, last time!"

Makoto glanced over her shoulder and spotted Mamoru come in the front door.

"Ee! He's here!" Makoto said excitedly.

She grabbed her bag and ran out to greet him. Mamoru looked in their direction just in time to for her to grab him.

"Hey, Mamo!" Makoto giggled.

Makoto excitedly threw both are arms around his dragging him around in a circle in place.

"Whoa-oh! Well, hello to you, too," Mamoru said after they'd gone a full a 360 degrees.

"Well, well, I'd say 'look what the cat dragged in', except I know no cat would want you," Usagi said dryly.

"Hi, Dumpling Head," Mamoru replied nicely, which just further agitated Usagi.

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. Mamoru ignored her and instead turned his attention to the girl intent on making herself his arm ornament.

"So where's this great park you want to show me?" he asked.

"Well…" Makoto started to answer as they walked out.

Motoki had come out from the back with several cardboard boxes in his arms followed by Yuki the other employee, also carrying boxes. He caught sight of the pair as they left, arms intertwined. Mamoru happened to glance his way and their gazes locked. He caught Motoki's disapproving stare and winced. He then picked up the pace out the sight, taking Makoto with him beyond the border of the window. Motoki from turned the sight, shaking his head. He and his coworker went over to the crane machine to start reloading it.

"Eh, what does she even see in that guy?" Usagi grumbled.

"Oh, I dunno," Rei said. "I think he has a certain "lone wolf" attraction going for him."

"If you mean he's a big meanie, then sure," Usagi replied.

Rei felt the phone in her pocket begin vibrate.

"Oh, man, not now!" Rei thought with annoyance.

She put away the zapper and turned to her bag. She noticed that Usagi's phone wasn't ringing. She thought this odd, but Rei didn't have any time to think about it. She quickly departed from the building, taking out the phone.

"Hello?" she asked.

"This is Pious. Hino, if you can find the time, we need you to come to headquarters as soon as you can. We might have some use for your sixth sense," the voice on the other end said.

"Right! I'll be right there!" Rei said.

She looked back into the building. Usagi had followed her out.

"Do I need to come, too?" Usagi asked.

"No, they need my gift for something. They didn't say what," Rei answered.

"Oh… Want me to go, anyway?" Usagi asked.

"Nah, it should be fine. If you're needed, we can just call you, anyway," Rei replied.

Usagi bit her lip. She was of two minds right now, watching Rei leave. On one hand, she _could_ stay in the arcade or even check in on Naru. Watching Rei's shrinking figure, Usagi came to a decision.

"Hey, wait up!" she called, and began jogging after her comrade.

"Huh?" Rei stopped and looked back.

"If they pick up a lead, we might be able to check it out right away if there's two on hand," Usagi said.

She stopped next to Rei.

"Well, that's awfully responsible of you," Rei commented.

"And what _that_ supposed to mine?" Usagi demanded crossly.

"Oh, nothing," Rei said, sweetly.

That just made Usagi pout.

"You're a real pain in the rear sometimes, you know that?" Usagi said.

"Better a pain than an annoyance," Rei retorted, smirking.

"Why you-"

* * *

"So this place serves some real good jasmine tea. You're going to love it!" Makoto said.

"I'm more of a ginseng person, myself," Mamoru put in.

"Oh, they have that, too," Makoto added quickly.

"So you seem to be gung-ho about this date. What's up?" Mamoru asked casually as they walked down the walkway.

"Oh, nothing! I'm gung-ho about _all _dates," Makoto answered.

"Really now? You sure were intent on getting to this park of yours' by today."

"Oh, that. Well, Ami said that the park will be closing soon. So I thought we'd enjoy a nice evening there while we could," Makoto answered.

"Closing? Why?" Mamoru sounded like his interest was piqued.

"Ugh. It's going to get bulldozed over to make another business distract," Makoto answered.

Mamoru snorted.

"Yeah, downtown Tokyo _needed_ another," he deadpanned.

"I know, right!" Makoto cried.

"It's troubling," Makoto then added in a calmer tone. "And it's such a nice park, too. But let's not think about that right now. I'm going on a romantic evening with my boyfriend.".

"Oh? Boyfriend, am I, now?" Mamoru asked.

"Well, we _did_ go on a date at Dream Land," Makoto said smilingly.

"Yeah, we did, didn't we? Well, then, Makoto Kino, it would be my pleasure to accompany you to this place," Mamoru smiled back.

"Alright!" Makoto cried. "Let's go!"

She suddenly sped up dragging him along with her.

"Hey, whoa! Slow down, Mako!" he cried.

She laughed as he struggled to keep up.

* * *

A shadow fell over the book's page, alerting Ami to the fact that she had visitors. She glanced up to see who had entered the room. It was Luna and Kratos. The tall muscular bloke stood there stoically with his arms folded over his chest. Ami hadn't seen such a big man up close in all her life, and frankly, his soul-piercing gaze intimidated her. Luna had a much more relaxed pose and was smiling. While Kratos a blue T-shirt and black sports pants, Luna was dressed much more casually in a black skirt and matching sweater.

"Oh, hello, Luna, and you must be Kratos," Ami said.

She put a bookmark between the pages of her book up, taking a bow before Kratos.

"I'm placed to meet you," she said.

"Likewise," Kratos replied plainly.

"So what's Little Ami reading?" Luna asked.

"Oh, _The Lord of the Rings_. It's for a book report at school," Ami answered.

"Ah, yes," Luna said whimsically.

"At least I know this is just _pure_ fiction," Ami said.

Luna chuckled and the corner of Kratos's lip turned up slightly in a mild smirk as though something the girl had said amused them. Ami looked over at them a little confused.

"What it is?" she asked.

"Are you really in any position to question the possibility that Tolkien took history and just retold it with a few of his own touches?" Kratos asked.

"Wait…you're saying that the events in this book actually happened?" Ami asked skeptically.

Luna looked back at the girl with an amused look at her face

"More or less. In the interest of keeping his status as a Keeper a secret, he had to take a lot of liberties when retelling The 2nd War of the Ring as a historical fiction," Luna explained.

"So what was different about the real events?" Ami asked.

"Overall, not too much. He gave it a happier ending, transplanted it into the world he built on paper, he left out the Silver Millennium and Camelot's involvement, and decreased The Fellowship's casualties down to one," Luna replied.

"So things didn't end so well for them?" Ami asked.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that. The Ring was still destroyed and Sauron still fell from power permanently. It just came at a somewhat higher price than the book tells," Luna answered.

"How much of a heavier price are we talking about?" Ami asked.

"Everyone but Gandalf and Aragorn died," Kratos answered.

"You were always one for putting it gently," Luna said sarcastically.

Kratos went over to the door leading into the Warriors' training area. He slid his keycard through the reader, unlocking the door. He pushed it open and stepped back to allow Ami to go in.

"I can see why he gave it a few modifications," Ami said as she entered the room.

She stopped and took a crisp breath at the sight laid out before her.

"Wow… It's big," Ami said quietly.

"Yes, it is. You will need all of this space, too," Kratos said, taking a spot across from her.

Luna stood next to the girl holding out a small plastic box for her to take. Ami accept it, lifting the lid. Inside were two items colored the same blue as her gear. One was a piece of head gear. It consisted of a pair of earmuffs which were attached to a blue, transparent visor, and a mouthpiece that fit over the side of the face down to her mouth. The other was what looked like a tiny laptop computer with the symbol of Mercury on it.

Ami put the headset on. Her vision became blue-tinted, but she could still see clearly. She picked up the computer. Luna took the now empty box from her and stepped back. Ami opened up the small device, sure enough, the top piece attached to the button one at the hinges had a screen and the lower half had a small keyboard.

"This is for me?" Ami asked, mystified.

"Yes. You are a very gifted girl when it comes to electronics, and this will be of great service to you on missions. The visor and the computer are interconnected. You saw the button on the left earmuff? Press it," Luna instructed.

Ami reached up and pressed the button.

The blue tint vanished and it was like she was seeing without the visor covering her eyes. She tapped the glass of the visor with a fingertip to make sure it was still there. It was. Bright, bold, yellow letters flashed on the screen.

"SCANNING AREA."

The letters vanished and yellow target appeared before Ami's eyes. It was locked onto where her gaze rested directly, which was on one of the metal slabs making up the walls of the room.

"SCANNING INTERIOR. STEEL ALLOY 5'-BY-5' SHEET, REINFORCED BY THREE TONS OF SUPPORTS AND MAGIC," letters on the computer flashed.

Experimentally, she looked at the floor and stared right at one of the rivets folding the slabs in place.

"SCANNING. STEEL RIVET. PURPOSE: SECURING THE METAL SHEETS IN PLACE."

"Amazing! The visor follows where I'm looking and identifies what I'm looking at! Can it tell me anything about other than the basic, though?" Ami asked.

"Oh, _yeah_," Luna answered.

She pointed at Kratos.

"Try it."

Ami looked at Kratos.

"SCANNING. IDENTIFIED. KRATOS ALBANE. KINGDOM: ANIMALIA. PHYLUM: CHORDATA. CLASS: MAMMALIA. ORDER: PRIMATE. FAMILY: HOMINDAE. TRIBE: HOMININI. GENUS: HOMO. SPECIES: LUNARIAN. OCCUPATION: HIGH KEEPER AND DRILL INSTRUCTOR. HEIGHT: 6'4". WEIGHT: 220 LBS. HAIR: BLONDE. EYES: BLUE. CAPABILITIES INCLUDE: WEAPONS EXPERT, HAND-TO-HAND, AND POSSESSES GREAT PHSYICAL STRENGTH AND ABILITY WITH LIMITED ABILITY TO USE MAGIC. RECOMMENDED STRATEGY: USE OF LONG RANGE ATTACKS."

"Whoa!" Ami hummed.

"And that's not all, you can use it to hack into various devices, like other computers," Luna said.

"If you're ready, let us begin the training session," Kratos said.

"As ready as I can be," Ami sighed.

"Very well," Kratos answered.

Ami took out the flute from her bag. Luna took her bag from her and went over to the sidelines while Ami put the instrument to her lips. She played a few chords and mist-like energy surrounded her before igniting into a bright flash. When it cleared, she was in her gear holding the harp the devise had become. She still wore the visor on her face. She was also still holding the computer. She looked down at her belt found a slop that looked like it might hold the device. She slid the computer into the slot and clicked into place, where it would stay until she took it out again.

"The thing you will want to do is get into a defendable stance," Kratos instructed. "Spread your feet apart and keep your knees bent. Shift back and forth until you're planted firmly in place and then keep the weight evenly balanced between feet. Point them and your knees outwards."

Mercury obeyed and lowered herself into a stance, getting corrected until she had done it correctly.

"Now try to moving left and right without changing stance," Kratos said.

Mercury obeyed, almost immediately finding the purpose of the low, broad stance. The way she stood allowed for quick dodging movement. It was also easy to big steps forward and backwards.

"Well done," Kratos said. "Since you don't have a close range weapon to fend off enemy attacks like Moon and Jupiter do, we will focus on moving in-sync with your enemy. Are you trained at dancing?"

"Dancing?" Mercury asked, confused.

"Yes, the waltz, for example. If you've learned how to waltz, you know that the routine is all about staying with your partner. His right foot goes forward, your left goes back. Fighting unarmed against an armed opponent has much the same principle," Kratos said.

"But you're the one unarmed," Mercury replied.

"Am I?" Kratos asked.

A short sword and round shield materialized in his hands. The shield was strapped to his left forearm and he held sword in his right hand.

"Limited magic usage capabilities," Mercury recalled the information about Kratos mentally.

"Read your opponent!" Luna called from the sidelines. "Watch his movements!"

"Here I come!" Kratos growled, rushing right at her.

Not knowing what else to do, Mercury got into position to use her handheld harp with her back held straight with the instrument's straight end resting on her right shoulder. Her left hand held the harp at the arched side which faced outwards while her right played the strings. She had 26 strings on the instrument in all. She strummed the chords once clean across starting with the outermost ones until she reached the shortest string which was closest to her in a long singular note of music.

There wasn't a whole lot of moister in the room, so she could only summon about two liters worth of water in the short time she began. She twanged the two middle strings, reshaping the gathered water into hammerhead-like shapes. She pricked the shortest string again sending both her projectiles careening at her target. They flew at him with the speed of arrows. Kratos held up his shield, preparing himself for the first of the two impacts.

Mercury's eyes widened as Kratos's sword and shield burst into flame. Kratos leapt forward, throwing his full weight behind the shield, which was held at a slight angle. The ice hammerhead and the iron shield collided, which Kratos thrust upwards from underneath derailing the object altogether. It flew upwards the ceiling, but there was one more hammerhead to deal with.

Kratos let out a loud roar as he stabbed straight into the next one while covering his face with the shield. The blade's fire suddenly intensified just as jabbed the flying ice, shattering it into several tiny pieces. Mercury stepped back. Kratos was close and closing in.

"Remember, move with him!" Luna shouted.

Mercury screamed in fright at the large man who ran at her roaring for blood. He held up the shield over him and drew the blade close over it. He then sliced across outwards levelly. Mercury gasped. Her instincts took over, and she stepped back and to the side with her right foot moving backwards away from Kratos's sword. Then she arched herself backwards. The blade swept inches from her face directly overhead. She could feel the burning hot fire upon it.

It wasn't over. Kratos arched the sword up and then brought it straight down at her. It was all Mercury could do to leap off her tiptoes backwards. The sword clanged against the plates of her battle skirt before glancing off, tearing the cloth end at the button before banging against the floor. Without missing a beat, he thrust the blade forwards against coming up from below with it aimed at her lower stomach.

She jumped to the side, but he redirected his aim and instead slashed at her. She was forced to jump back again, and again, and again, as he continued to slice and jab at her.

"He's working you into a corner!" Luna shouted.

Mercury looked behind. If her peripheral vision hadn't caught it, he might have taken the top half of her off, but she ducked just in time. Luna slapped her forehead with her palm.

"DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF SOMEONE WAVING A SWORD AT YOU!" Luna hollered.

"I'm in trouble, what do I do?! The only way past him _is _past _him_!" Mercury thought, almost panicking.

Mercury gulped, knowing what had to be done. She charged him, but Kratos wasn't off his guard. He stabbed straight out at her. Mercury threw himself headfirst under the blade, twisting herself to the side. She impacted the floor, rolled onto her back and onto the other side, successfully putting herself behind him.

She shot up onto one knee and started to summon more water, but Kratos was quick. HWithout turning around entirely, he sliced his sword across straight behind, turning himself partially around in the process. Mercury was forced to roll out of the way again, but he was in her again! He brought his sword up high again and slashed it straight down at her, making her jump back once more.

"Neither Moon, nor Jupiter, nor Haruka are here to get between him and you with their close-range weapons. And I'm strictly here to help instruct. How will you stop him from attacking you?" Luna asked.

"I HAVE NO IDEA!"

"You're a smart girl! Figure it out!" Kratos said bluntly.

By now, Mercury was panting and beginning to sweat. She wiped the perspiration off her brow. At the rate, she was going to wear out long before he did. He ran towards her steadily and without a hint of fatigue. The only advantage she had that she could see was that she made for a small target, which she suspected was the ONLY reason she still had her head.

Biting her lip, Mercury knew this called for bold action. She focused on two things: the thermal warmth within Kratos's sword and shield and on the power with her weapon. She knew she had one shot at immobilizing him and one shot only. With the synchronization with her harp came awareness of all the moister in this room. There wasn't much, but there might have been just enough if she used it all at once.

The visor on her screen filled her vision with the thermal levels in the room. Luna, Kratos, and his blades, showed up as yellow, orange, and red while the rest was either blue or green. Kratos was close. Showtime! She held her fingers to the strings and waited for him. From her determined look and stance, Kratos knew she was up to something, but had no idea what.

Then just as he swung at her once more, she suddenly jumped straight up and strummed the strings in unison. He was left standing surrounded by a thick fog. Mercury looked down, seeing the red body heat of Kratos amongst the blue mist. As she reached the peak of her jump, she pricked the middle two strings again. At once, the water molecules making up the fog bunched together like an implosion!

Kratos gasped in surprised as ice covered his feet, legs, and arms. He was completely unable to bend his arms to melt and cut away the ice. Mercury landed a short ways away from him. She pricked the short string close to her again and a sharp piece of the ice sticking to the floor broke off and floated over to Kratos's throat. It pressed itself against his jugular.

Mercury gasped for breath and struggled to stay upright. Then she took a deep breath and whooshed out:

"Surrender."

Kratos closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"I am defeated," he said.

The sound of clapping got Mercury's attention. She turned to see Luna smiling at her from the sidelines.

"Congratulations! Lesson one is completed," Luna said.

"Warrior Mercury," Kratos said.

"Hmm? Yes."

"Can you unthaw me, please?"

"Oh, right! Sorry!"

Luna chuckled at the exchange as she walked over to the young Warrior The ice melted off of Kratos and he withdrew his weapons into the pocket space they had come from. He stood stiffly like a soldier about to salute. He gave Mercury a bow, one she returned.

"Well done, Ami Mizuno. It was difficult for you, but have learned to stand on your own two feet in a battle," he said.

"Thank you, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not fight alone again," Mercury said quietly.

Kratos and Luna smiled.

"A most wise sentiment, one that many never learn to embrace," Kratos said.

"Hehe, thanks," Mercury replied.

* * *

"One order of jasmine and one of ginseng," the waitress said, laying down the two cups in front of Makoto and Mamoru.

Mamoru pulled the cup closer to him before starting to pick it up.

"Oh, hey, want some sugar with that?" Makoto asked.

"No thanks," Mamoru replied.

"Yay, more for me," Makoto grinned, pouring a spoonful into hers' and stirring.

"So how's school?" Mamoru asked.

He took a sip of his tea as Makoto began to talking about how things were. He silently listened, enjoying his ginseng. Unbeknownst to them, they had caught the eye of a passerby. Umino just happened to be passing by the tea shop when he spotted them.

"Hey, that's Kino from class," Umino thought. "I'll go in and say hi…who's that?"

Umino backed up around the corner and ducked below the rows of hedges around the front.

"Have you considered where you're going to go to high school yet?" Mamoru asked.

"Oh, that? Well…" Makoto hummed.

She looked at the ceiling while she thought about it. In her thoughts, she was utterly oblivious to the bespectacled face that rose up from the bushed just outside the window and then just as quickly lowered back down below them.

"Well, I was thinking about…" Makoto said thoughtfully, but then tapered off and looked away solemnly.

Mamoru blinked and leaned forward slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nah, it's stupid. I'm nowhere near smart enough to get into that place," Makoto said.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. What's this high school you want to get into?" Mamoru asked.

"Being short wouldn't be so bad," Makoto muttered.

She sighed and stared out the window at the passing cars.

"Makoto?" Mamoru said. "Earth to Makoto."

She turned back to him looking somewhat withdrawn.

"I'd…like to go to…Jonan Academy."

Mamoru whistled.

"That's a high goal. It's very competitive in that place. Believe me, I'd know," he said.

"Oh. You went there?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah! The entrance exams were hell, but it's not as bad once you're in," Mamoru said.

"As an alternative, I've also thought about going to Kisaragi High. It's not as prestigious as Jonan, but it's a respectable school," Makoto said.

"Good," Mamoru said approvingly. "It's always good to have options. When I was trying to get into high school, mom told me to have at least three possibilities to aim for."

"Heh. Thanks," Makoto smiled.

"Just who is that guy and what are they talking about?" Umino wondered, straining to see over the hedge without being seen, himself.

He paused and considered going in so he could just ask who that guy was, but something about interrupting their date seemed wrong, too.

"Umino?" a voice asked just behind him.

"Ack!" he jumped in surprised and whipped around.

Standing a few feet behind him on the sidewalk was Naru. She looked down at him with an odd look. She looked into the tea shop to see what mesmerized him so. When she spotted Makoto and Mamoru, her gaze snapped back the crouching boy. With a scowl, she stomped over and grabbed him by the ear.

"Ow! Hey, Naru! Stop that! Owowowow!" he cried as she dragged him away from the couple.

Once they were out of sight, she stopped, but did not let go of his ear.

"Alright, bozo, explain," She said firmly."Why were you peeping in on Mako's date?"

"OWOWOWOW! It's nothing, really?!" he wailed pitifully, trying and failing to pry her fingers loose.

"Really?" Naru said, sounding completely unconvinced.

"Yeah, I just wondering who that guy with her is," Umino said with his voice straining under the pain.

"Oh," Naru said, releasing him.

Umino rubbed his ear tenderly.

"Man, Naru, you have a real death grip, you know that?"

"All the better for defending lovers' privacy," Naru said bluntly.

She sighed and spoke again.

"His name's Mamoru Chiba, or according to Usagi, he's "Jerkface"," she explained.

"Wait, that's _Jerkface_?!" Umino exclaimed. "Isn't he in college?"

"Yeah… Why?"

Umino covered his mouth with his hands to stifle a shocked gasp.

"Impure fraternization!"

Naru facepalmed.

"Oh, brother," she muttered.

Umino turned to crawl his way back towards the window.

"We have to follow them! The student's handbook is very clear about thi-OW!"

Umino hopped from one foot to the other while Naru once again pinched his ear.

"Hold it right there. You are doing nothing of the sort," Naru said.

"But Mako's in danger!" Umino yelped.

"Mako? In danger? We're talking about the same Makoto Kino here, right?" Naru asked dubiously.

"Well, yeah!"

"You're kidding, right? Mako could fold this guy in half _backwards_ and then tie his arms and legs into knots if he tries anything funny. Now come on!" Naru said exasperated.

With that, she dragged him down the street like a child, getting odd stares from passing people as they went. A few moments later, Mamoru and Makoto left the little shop none the wiser to the events that transpired just outside their window.

* * *

Rei looked up from the stack of papers stapled together that Pious handed her to him. She and Usagi were standing his office where he waited expectantly at his desk.

"So… I'm supposed to look at this enormous list of people and tell you whose next?" Rei asked.

"We're hoping, yes," Pious answered.

Rei sighed.

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way. I can go home and meditate on this energy draining crisis, but I can't guarantee what I will see. I don't even know if I can identify the person I'll see. I'll write down anything I manage to gleam from my visions, but it's that about it. Sometimes I'll know exactly what I'm seeing, but sometimes not," she said.

Pious nodded understandingly.

"Very well. I understand. A sixth sense can be very difficult to manage. If you would, please meditate on this issue as soon as possible? As things are, we have nothing to go on to pinpoint who they will attack next."

"No promises," Rei muttered.

"I understand," Pious said.

"Can we go now?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, if there's nothing you can do on this end, you are both free to go," Pious answered.

Usagi and Rei left the office, entering into the hall.

"I'll go with you!" Usagi offered.

"Huh? You just wanna read my manga!" Rei said gruffly.

"Yeah. So what?" Usagi asked jokily.

"You are impossible!" Rei cried.

Usagi stuck out her tongue and ran ahead of Rei.

"Hey! Don't run in the halls!" Rei shouted.

* * *

The doors to the Game Crown opened, letting a woman roughly in her twenties in dressed in business wear and sunglasses. she carried a blinking black crystal. Once she stepped through the threshold, the crystal turned to her left, towards the Crane Game machines. The woman followed its direction over to a young man with glasses, who wore a blue ball cap, light-orange jacket, T-shirt, and jeans. He stood at the controls of a Crane Game. And around him were gathered a lot of other youths watching pull plushy toy after plushy toy from the piles.

"Wow!"; "That amazing!" some kids said in hushed tones.

The woman crept up behind him, observing him every moment. Laid out next to him, he had two cloth sacks that he was loading each toy he got into them. He plopped a Sailor V plush in next. Then he turned back to the controls and guided them over what looked like a Frau Bow doll. He lowered the crane towards it and just as it reached its targeted, he pressed his hand onto the glass window of the machine. The plush moved, just ever so slightly, into the grip of the crane's claws. The metal fingers withdrew, pulling up the doll and one additional piece of plush that looked like a green dinosaur.

Aqua smiled, recognizing the use of telekinesis. Anyone else who didn't know to look for anything strange wouldn't have noticed, but she did. The boy grabbed them from the retrieval slot and tossed the Frau Bow plush into his bag, but handed off the green dinosaur to someone else, obviously taking no interest in it.

One of the arcade's clerks happened by.

"At it again, o great raider of crane games?" the clerk asked.

"You know it, Motoki," the crane game raider replied without turning around.

Aqua backed away from the scene, leaving the arcade altogether. She stopped next to a streetlight just outside the arcade.

"Master Jadeite," she whispered into the hidden mouthpiece. "Master Jadeite, please come in."

After a few more tries, she finally received a response.

"Jadeite here. What have you to report, Aqua?"

"I've found one of them. I don't know which one, but the crystal has led me to a teenage boy with mild telekinetic powers. I have him in my sights right now. Is Master Zoicite ready with his distraction?"

"Zoicite is ready. Awaken him on my order!" Jadeite ordered.

"I will obey, Master," she replied. "Aqua, out."

She turned back to the building and waited.

* * *

"Hmm. I didn't even know there was a park like this," Mamoru murmured as he and Makoto entered through the main gates.

In the distance, they could hear construction equipment running. Birds took to the air from their trees after a particularly loud bang.

"And so much for a peaceful evening," he added flatly.

They went over to a fenced off pond and leaned on the railing watching the ducks swim around. Some couples were on the water in rowboats. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a myriad of colors. It reflected off the water.

"It's so beautiful," Makoto said.

"It is. Heh, I kinda wish I brought some bird feed," Mamoru replied.

"Hey, wanna take one of those boats on the water?" Makoto asked.

"Sure."

The two started towards the dock to rent a boat. On the way, they made more small talk about anything.

"…So it was sundown, and while our Class Rep was telling a ghost story to the other kids at the park, mom and I got a pair of flashlights and a white sheet," Mamoru said.

Makoto was already holding back chuckles behind her hand.

"Yeah, and?" she asked.

"We snuck in close, like right behind a tree not even three meters away, and then we jumped screaming bloody murder. The Class Rep freaked and bolted and everyone else scattered! The Ioune twins both tried to dart through a split of a tree and got _stuck_!" Mamoru finished his tale.

Makoto laughed.

"Oh, man, I'll bet she really let you have it the next day!" Makoto said between whoops.

"Well, _duh_."

"And I can't believe your mom went for it!"

"_Went for it_? It was _her_ idea," Mamoru said, grinning.

"Your mom sounds like she's fun to be around," Makoto said.

"Oh, she is," Mamoru chuckled.

And while they continued to chat, the construction workers toiled away at clearing away the woods not far away. A bulldozer pushed a pile of downed trees away.

"Ooh, boy. Clearing out these things is hard on the ol' back," one of the workers said, easing himself down onto a tree trunk.

The middle aged man took off his hard hat, revealing his receding hairline. He wiped sweat from his brow that threatened to trickle down his broad, round face. He was a little ways away from the other employees of the construction company and hidden from view by one of the cranes. He'd be able to buy himself a short rest before returning to work.

"At least the tree huggers aren't giving us any grief this time," he thought as he stretched his aching out.

"You humans. Tearing down all this natural beauty to put up another of your dull and dreary concrete jungle," a voice said from behind.

The worker jumped and turned to face whoever had said that. Behind him was an effeminate slim man with long blonde hair smiling at him. Or at least he thought this was a man. It was difficult to tell, especially given the girly manner (s)he was waving at him.

"Hey, who are you?" the worker demanded. "This area is off limits, and with good reason! Get out of here before you get yourself hurt."

The man, instead heeding his warning, jumped up on the tree trunk the worker was sitting on.

"People have forgotten the boon that nature bestows them," the man said.

"What are you yammering about?" the worker said, quickly losing patience with this unwelcome company.

"I think it's time someone taught them all a lesson, and I, Zoicite, will be that someone," the man said.

Then he smiled almost playfully.

"I think I'll use you to make these men feel nature's wrath."

"Buh?" the worker asked.

"Alright, this guy's officially nuts," he said.

Zoicite lunged, out-stretched one arm and grabbing the man by the face. The worker let out one muffled cry before he went still. His eyes went blank as Zocite's magic did its work.

"Hey, Shinozaki, are you almost through that bedrock!" the foreman called.

Shinozaki stopped the jackhammer to answer his boss.

"Almost, but it'll still take a little while! I'll try to have this done before we clock for the evening!"

"Good enough!" The foreman hollered back.

"Hey, boss, I think there's something wrong with Kirishima!"

"Ugh, what now?!" The foreman said, turning towards the crane where the voice had come from.

He stomped over in that direction, looking annoyed.

"Your back bothering you again, Kirishima?" the foreman wearily.

When he got close enough, he could some of the other worker gathering around the stumbling man. Kirishima, the worker Zoicite had cursed, clutched his head in his hands as if it pained. He groaned and said unintelligible.

"Huh? What was that?" the foreman asked.

"Kiiiiii…kiiiii…"

"Kiki?" one of the workers asked.

"Kkk-kkk-kki-iii-ill… Kill…"

The foreman's brow wrinkled as he tried to understand the man.

"Kill?" he asked.

Then Kirishima threw his head and yelled, "KILLLLLLLLL!" in a mad voice that scared everyone. From the tree line came another sound following up Kirishima's insane loud. The pitter-patter of hundreds of feet would be heard from through the woods in the park at the construction crew.

The worker looked around them in confusion.

"What in heck in that?" the foreman asked.

No one could have expected what happened next. From all sides, they came. Birds, insects, squirrels, raccoons, deer, and all manner of animal inhabiting the park charged out from the trees at them. One particularly big buck charged right at the foreman. The man tried to run, but it was too fast for him and rammed him, antlers first in the side. One man stumbled away, screaming, covering in raccoons tearing at his flesh while others ran from the insects attacking them.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Makoto asked.

"Hmm?" Mamoru said, turning from the dock.

"Listen," Makoto told him.

Mamoru quieted down and listened. There! He heard it! Screams in the distance. He and Makoto exchanged worried glances. Without another word, they tore off in the direction of the sound, determined to get the button of whatever was going on.

* * *

Crane Game Joe hoisted the sacks over his shoulder and headed towards the door. The automatic sliding doors opened. As he started to step through, someone stepped in his way. Some lady that'd come and watched him sooner. He started to walk around her, but she pushed him with an arm.

"Hey, watch it, lady!" he said, rudely.

Aqua grinned predatorily at him, making him start to back away. She pushed him again, making him sprawl out onto the floor roughly.

"Oof! Hey, what are you doin…?!" he demanded, angrily and frightened all at once.

He stopped upon discovered that she was already standing right over him. Motoki looked over at the sound of the disturbance and started to come over.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" he called with concern.

"This will be over shortly," Aqua said to Joe.

She held up the crystal, which levitated out of her hand and began spinning vertically in the air. Joe screamed and pushed away from her using his legs to scoot across the floor and then turned himself over to get up and run away. Motoki stopped in mid-step upon spotting the hovering object. Just as Joe got to start running, an arc of yellow energy shot from the Black Crystal striking Joe square in the back.

The arcade patrons screamed and scattered to get away. Someone was being murdered right there in front of them! Joe collapsed onto his knees and let out a long, wheezing wail. The middle of his chest began to glow with the same energy that was arcing out of the crystal into him. Motoki recovered and stepped towards Aqua.

"Hey, stop that! You're killing him!" Motoki demanded mustering the most authoritative voice he could.

"Silence, wretch!" Aqua growled at Motoki.

That didn't detour him. He picked up a broom and marched right over to try to swat the offending crystal away. Aqua unleashed a growl that no human vocal cords could ever muster and bared her fangs at him. Her eyes turned their true color of yellow. Motoki let out a frightened gasp, freezing in place. Aqua then jumped the ten feet separating her from Motoki. He held up the broom protectively, but she snatched it from him and broke it in half like a twig with her bare hands.

"Oh, God…" Motoki's stunned voice muttered.

Aqua punched him, sending him tumbling over the floor until he slammed into the side of one of the game consoles so hard, it nearly fell over. Sitting slouched with his back to the machine, Motoki groaned, looked up one more time with dazed eyes, and fell into an uncomfortable unconsciousness.

Yuki ran out from the back.

"Hey! What's going on?!" he shouted.

"_Help me…"_

Yuki looked down at the Joe, sitting on his knees right in front of him. Joe was clutching his chest with one hand, and reaching out to Yuki with the other, desperately.

"What's wrong?" Yuki asked.

"_I…" _Joe tried to answer, but something cut him off.

He threw his head down in a bowed manner and his entire body began to go into convulsions and he began to heave like he was going to throw up. The short, stout arcade employee looked from him to the woman standing nearby, watching the ill teen unconcerned. Just past her, he could see Motoki slumped limply against one of the machines, but other than the four of them, the arcade had become completely empty.

"Hey, what's going here?!" Yuki demanded.

Suddenly there was a loud crunching noise. Yuki turned back to the quivering boy to a most hideous sight. Crane Game Joe's body grew and stretched from within. His once perfectly fitting skin was now being stretched tightly over his expanding body. Joe threw his head to scream, but what came out instead was a loud, high-pitched inhuman wail. A pair of insect mouth-mandibles curled out from within his mouth. Joe started at his new appendages in horror and screamed in terror, his voice now wavering between a human's and that other voice.

Hook-like claws pushed out from behind his fingernails, displacing them. The hardened protective layers of keratin fell onto the floor. Similar claws pushed their way through the fronts of his sneakers. It was then that he'd grown large enough that the human ripped in several places revealing what looked like dark gray exoskeleton skin of a lobster bulging out from underneath. Joe's human face was now more like a mask upon the creature's head.

The beast he'd become reached up with both clawed hands and proceeded to peal the human hide off like an animal shedding its skin. Yuki could only watch in horror as clumps of the flesh fell onto the floor in sickening "plops".

Joe screamed no more as he coolly tossed the remainder of the hide away, leaving only a few shreds of it behind.

"Entomon," Aqua aid identifying the Great Youma.

Entomon looked at her in response to his name. The bipedal insect-man stood nearly seven feet high and was covered in natural segmented exoskeleton armor. His legs were like that of a man's, except they were segmented where all the joints would go. His stomach region in particular was a lot of segments to allow for flexibility. And aside from his human-like arms, growing from his back were two rows of four sharp pinchers, eight in all. Sticking out of the base of his back was a scorpion tail, complete with a stinger on the end. Two black eyes on the front of his lobster-like head stared at Aqua curiously.

"_You…awakened…me?_" the words slurred from his human-like mouth.

"Yes, I did," Aqua replied. "Hello, Entomon, and welcome back to the ranks of The Dark Kingdom."

**A/N: **Wow, I cannot believe it took me so long to get Sakurada and Wakagi worked back into the story.

I'm also posting an altered version of this story on the sister site, , titled, _The Celestial Warriors of the Cosmos_. It's been adjusted so that it will not feature any copyrighted material, so as such all the characters aside from my OCs will be renamed. You can find it here: s/3101463/1/The-Celestial-Warriors-of-the-Cosmos. I'm hoping to see how this story fares without the attraction of it being a _Sailor Moon_ fanfic. Don't worry, I will complete this fic in its present form with Usagi and everyone.

Welp, over 200,000 words. Yay me!


	24. Chapter 22: Two Battlefields

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**SomeoftheFame: **Well, the other three have been training, just off-screen, though. Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like how I've made changes to the plot.

**Drew L.: **Yeah, I've meant to include more Mamo for some time now, but my plans for him are starting to get underway. To tell the truth, I actually _tried_ to fit in some more Slender stuff in this chapter, but it just interrupted the pacing too much. That sequence is being saved for next chapter. Thank you for the compliments.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Always!

**Sakuar: **It won't quite be a youma per chapter, but it's going to be fairly quick paced, I hope.

**tomorrow4eva: **Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as much as you did the first two chapters.

**Chapter 22**

**Two Battlefields**

"We are going live with Takashi Hino," a voice spoke from the streetlight mounted speaker underneath a large screen hanging off the side of a building.

"Father," Rei mumbled under her breath.

She looked up to one of the large screens hanging on the side of a building she and Usagi were passing by. Usagi stopped a couple paces after Rei after taking notice that the other girl had stopped. She looked from Rei to the man on the screen. He was middle aged, had black hair just like her own, only his was short and slicked back.

He wore a gray business with a red tie. He stepped up the podium set up on the steps of Tokyo Town Hall. He motioned for the crowd to quiet down. Because of the importance of this event, his speech was being broadcast all over the city, firmly putting his face on every screen in living room stationed and on those outside.

Takashi Hino flashed a charismatic smile for the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "It has come to our attention that fear breathes the very air in our fair city. Parents fear for their children, that they might become more victims in the long list of attacks and incidents, but I stand here today to quell those fears. The other Councilors and I are working right now in junction with the military, police, and experts in many scientific fields to keep our streets safe."

Rei sneered at him.

"Oh, sure, worry about everyone's family but your own, pig," she said spitefully.

"Know him?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," Rei hissed.

"So, who is that guy?" Usagi asked.

Rei mumbled something she couldn't make out.

"Pardon?"

"Father," Rei said sullenly.

"Your dad's a politician?" Usagi asked, surprised.

"Yes, why else do you think you never see him around?" Rei asked grimly and looked away from the screen.

She walked again, pulling Usagi along with her.

"Wha-hey!"

"Come on!" Rei ordered, practically dragging Usagi with her.

"Hey, wait! Are you guys not getting along or something?" Usagi asked.

"Not now," Rei replied bitterly.

"Hey, stop pulling on me!" Usagi cried.

She dug her heels into the sidewalk, forcing the both of them to stop. Rei looked at her with faint annoyance.

"Alright, sheesh. You don't have to talk about your dad if you don't want, but calm down!"

Rei looked at the tight grip she had on Usagi's arm, and let go.

"Sorry," Rei apologized.

"No, biggie, just don't do that again."

Usagi looked closely at Rei. That made three out of three of the other Warriors with strained home lives. Was she was seriously the only one on their team with parents that were both still alive and on were on good earns with their children? Usagi took in a deep breath.

"Hey, if you ever want to talk about it…" Usagi offered.

"Don't count on it," Rei replied quietly.

The raven turned away and walked down the street.

"Oooookay, daddy=MAJOR sore spot for Rei," Usagi noted mentally.

* * *

Yuki backed up into the door leading into the employee's area of the arcade. His scream caught in his throat at fast, but on his second attempt, he cut loose with a single, blood-curling shriek before the running into the employee's area. Motoki grunted painfully as he started to stir. He was vaguely aware that someone else was around through the foggy haze that was his world right now.

"I've awakened the first sleeping Youma. It was Entomon," Aqua said into the comm.

The youma in question watched in fascination as she used the device to speak with someone far, far away. He leaned in, wondering if it really worked.

"Very good," Jadeite answered.

Entomon's eyes opened at hearing his voice. Engineering and mechanics had advanced so far since he was sealed?

In Beryl's throne room, the shitennou turned to his queen.

"It's Entomon," he said.

Beryl smiled back.

"Excellent," she said.

She tapped her finger against her chin, thinking.

"Now, what to do with him?" she said aloud.

Back in the arcade, police sirens could already be heard coming.

"Nrrrgh! What is that horrible noise?" Entomon asked, holding his hands over his ears.

"The local law enforcement," Aqua answered.

"Master Jadeite, the local police are coming. Orders, please?" she said, into the mouthpiece.

"They have company," Jadeite said to Beryl.

"Well, then, they shouldn't be rude. Tell them to welcome their company with open arms," Beryl said sweetly.

Jadeite smirked deviously in response.

"Aqua, tell Entomon that he's being given a chance to stretch his legs," he said.

Aqua turned to hulking insect creature.

"Playtime," she said.

Six squad cars pulled up, forming a half-circle line clear the front of the arcade. The officers piled out, guns drawn. They could see the Atlantian and the bug man through the large windows in front.

"Oh, my lord, get a look at that thing," one of the officers said anxiously.

Another officer held up a megaphone.

"This is the police. Come with your…hands and claws up, nice and slowly. Don't make any sudden moves," he said.

Entomon responded by roaring a challenge at them and leaning forward in an all-out charge right at them.

"It's not coming quietly! Open fire!"

Entomon crashed through the front of the building, crossing his forearms over his face as the hail of bullets began, but all the lead balls did was bounce off his hard hide. He kept coming, and two cops dove out of his path just before he smashed into their car. His body tore through it like he was running through a block of jell-o. Then he turned to the next car and flipped it up into the air. It landed atop the one next to it. He turned and kicked the one behind him, sending it crashing through and over the others. The police were beside themselves in terror, and Entomon was only just getting started.

The officers, ten in all, backed away, reloading their firearms. Entomon took a step towards them, and then another. He paused when his stomach gurgled. He rubbed it, realizing that he was hungry.

"Oi! I haven't had a nibble in a thousand years!"

He looked back up, at the police officers. The corners of his lips draw up and he drooled a little. He smacked his lips with his tongue. They visibly paled, realizing the implications behind his words and actions. Entomon cared not, all he could see was their bodies, so hot with blood, oh, and how he could almost taste already.

"Dinner time," he said eagerly.

He pounced on the first officer, pinning him to the ground on his back. The man screamed and fired wildly on the beast sitting on him top of him. Entomon watched with amusement until the man ran out of bullets. His fellow officers opened fire and even tried to drag the insectoid off him, but Entomon just shrugged off their attempts.

The man whimpered, and Entomon opened his mouth, and it opened wider and wider, until it was big enough to fit a house cat or a small dog. Then Entomon's head snapped down right at the man's head. The policeman's entire upper half of his head from the upper jaw up disappeared into the Entomon's mouth. The man let out one terrified shriek before the beast bit down with a sickening crunch. Entomon jerked upright again with a full mouth. The man's head from the upper jaw up was now missing from his body.

"Oh…my…" someone retched.

The sounds of horrified screams and the pounding of many, many feet erupted on the street corner as the crowds of people began to flee the scene. Cars trying to get turned around quickly slammed into each other and clogged the roads as panicked drivers tried to do the same.

There were more crunches as Entomon began to chew his food. He completely ignored the pandemonium around him, simply savoring the taste of meat and blood. The bugman's throat bulged as he swallowed what his mouthful. He smiled viciously, bloody and bone marrow dripping from his teeth. He looked at the other men in uniform.

"Time for seconds! And guess who's on the menu?!" he shouted.

The cops fired on him again as they started to flee. Entomon laughed at their pathetic attempts to stop him and leapt high into the air. He aimed his landing right at a fleeing pair, all the while, shouting:

"DINNER TIME! DINNER TIME!"

The officers looked over them just in time to see him coming. They raised their arms over them to in a feeble attempt to protect themselves. A few seconds later, Entomon rose to his feet holding an armful of bloody pulp that he'd ripped from them. More sirens blared not far off, announcing the arrival of…

"Ooh! Thirds!" Entomon said, licking his lips.

* * *

Not far from the scene, Artemis pulled out of a parking space in his car. Minako sat in the passenger seat playing some handheld game system she'd bought. The police radio crackled with an alarm.

"All units! Attention, all units! Please come in, we have officers calling for backup! I repeat, officers are calling for backup!"

Artemis picked up the receiver.

"This is Inspector Ishida, reporting. What's the situation?" he said.

"We have 10-91V at a business called The Game Crown, on the 33rd of Main. Officers were dispatched to investigate a disturbance, as several panicked patrons reported a teenage boy being attacked by an unidentified woman, but when they arrived they were attacked by some kind of giant insect."

"What happened to the boy?" Artemis asked.

"Unknown. Upon arrival, there was no visual on the minor, but reports say that the female suspect is still at the scene, and possibly working with the hostile. Please be warned, the subject has already devoured five officers and three civilians and is impervious to gunfire by stand issue handguns. All units have been given authorization to use heavy firearms and to shoot on sight and an armored unit is en route," the dispatcher replied.

Artemis and Minako exchanged grim looks.

"Dispatch acknowledged. Inspector Ishida en route to the scene with Sailor V. Please keep us updated on further developments should they occur before we arrive. Ishida, out," Artemis said.

Artemis did a U-Turn, facing the car in the direction it needed to go. Minako pulled out her compact from her skirt pocket.

"No rest for the weary," she sighed, transforming into Sailor V.

* * *

Makoto and Mamoru panted as they raced across the final stretch of woods to the demolition site. What was waiting for them, they could never have expected. In the cleared out portion of woods, the workers either laid dead or unconscious while others fled in terror from their assailants. One man dashed past them in a blind panic screaming terribly as bees relentlessly stung him. He tore off into the woods. Not far away, another man held up his hands in a futile attempt to protect himself as the deer buck backed away to get another running start to ram him. A third, bloodied head to toe, ran wildly around trying to tear the squirrels biting at his flesh off him.

"Oh, God! My eyes! My eyes!" one man screamed, crawling on the ground blindly while crows pecked at his back. Blood oozed from his dark sockets.

Makoto and Mamoru stood frozen to one spot, unsure of what to do. They looked at each other and then back at the carnage. Mamoru glanced around, looking for anything out of place in this out of place scene. There. One of the workers wasn't running away from the animals. One of them was being left alone by them. He stood tall atop of the cabin of a bulldozer, watching the handiwork of his woodland army. Makoto and Mamoru's fingers twitched. They could do something about this, but… They turned to each other. They didn't dare let the other know their secret. Mamoru was the first to speak.

"Mako, find a phone booth, call the police, I'll see what I can do here," he ordered.

Makoto looked like she wanted to argue, but then thought better of the notion, realizing that it would get her get out of view.

"Alright, you be careful!" she said.

Makoto took off down the trail again, leaving Mamoru alone. Mamoru hopped over the edge into the quarry. As he did, his clothes changed. There was no bright flash or anything else of the sort. No, his humble transformation occurred with his clothes simply fading into a different set of attire. When he hit level ground, he'd fully become The Phantom Mask. He brandished his sword, stepping towards the panicked men and the frenzied animals.

* * *

"Hello, hello! Police! Yeah, I'm calling from Nakashima Park, in Azabu Juuban District, Avenue 8! Look, there are a bunch of animals gone wild here! They're attacking construction workers that were clearing out the park! Eh?! I don't know who those guys work for, but they're getting torn apart by birds, deer, raccoons, and everything else that lives here! No, this is NOT a prank call! Get your asses down here, now! …You're sending _a _car?! Fine! By!" Jupiter said angrily.

She hung up and dialed another number.

"Yeah, Luna, this is Jupiter. We have a problem."

* * *

"Understood, someone will be sent immediately," Luna answered.

She hung up and turned to Orion and Mercury. They were still in the Warriors' training room.

"That was Jupiter on the line just now. She needs backup," Luna explained. "Kratos, take Mercury with you and meet Jupiter at the park."

"What is the situation?" Kratos asked.

"Jupiter said that something is making the animals at Nakashima Park go wild and attacking people," Luna answered.

"Nakashima Park?!" Mercury cried in shock.

She turned to Kratos.

"A friend of mine works there, Mr. Kunitachi. We need to hurry!" Mercury said.

"And what about you?" Kratos asked Luna.

"I'm coming, too, but first I'm going to contact Usagi, Rei, and Haruka. It sounds like we have a doozy this time," she answered.

"What about the crisis at the Game Crown?" Mercury asked.

"Artemis and Sailor V are on it," Luna replied.

"Let's go, Mercury," Kratos said, leading the way out.

Luna followed them out as far as the waiting room, hastily typing a text to Usagi and Rei.

* * *

Soon as she hung up, Jupiter dashed back to the lot to help Mamoru. Who knew what kind of trouble he might already be in? The trees parted around as she got close enough to see into the dirt pit. She slid to a stop. She didn't see him anywhere, but she did Phantom Mask waving his sword around, keeping a murder of crows at bay.

"Where did he…? Never mind, have to help those poor guys and find Mamo before it's too late," she thought, eyes darting around frantic.

Not seeing Mamoru anywhere, she leapt down into the site and hit the ground running. A nearby fox bared its hangs at her, and she had a split second to weigh her options before having to take action. As it pounced, she slid to a stop and held out a hand, extending her index finger. A small arc of electricity sparked, connecting with the orange ball of fur.

The fox yelped and ran off back into the woods. Out of the corner of her eye, Jupiter noticed that it weaved its way around the other animals and workers, looking around confused the whole while like a normal fox might if it came back to its senses. She didn't have time to think about, though, because where that first animal came from turned from the workers they were tormenting, to her.

Jupiter crouched low, holding her arms tightly over her body. Static charges began to buzz and spark all over her gear. The frenzied fauna close in, and just as they got close around, the electrical charges Jupiter had been building reached a peak, sending out weak static into the surrounding atmosphere. All the nearby animals stopped as their fur stood on end from the static. Then they looked around, became afraid and fled the scene like any normal animal would.

She heard the pounding of footsteps coming up besides her and turned to see who was coming. It was Mask.

"Good going! It looks like the influence of the one responsible is nullified by your electricity!" he said.

"There was a guy here before. Where did he go?" Jupiter demanded.

"I heard the commotion and arrived on the scene shortly after he did. I sent him on his way," Mask replied.

He looked up at the man looking at them.

"That's not important right now, though. We need to stop this madness now," he said.

* * *

"Cripes, twice in one day?" Usagi asked.

She flipped the lid open to read the message: "Situation at Nakashima Park. Local wildlife going berserk and attacking people. Jupiter already at scene. Mercury and Kratos are on their way. You come, too. Cut across rooftops if you must. –Luna"

Usagi and Rei looked up from the message to each other, nodded a silent agreement, and dashed into a nearby alley. They took out their transformation device, and away from the eyes of the public, changed into their Warrior forms. First Moon wall kicked from side-to-side to the rooftop, followed closely by Mars.

* * *

"It's just around this next corner, Mina," Artemis said, slowing the car to turn. "Be ready."

"Right!"

Sailor V unbuckled herself and grabbed the doorknob while the still moving vehicle. She'd done this so many times now she no longer feared leaping from Artemis's squad car before he'd stopped it. Artemis drew his gun, and clicked off the safety. His piece was loaded with custom ammunition made for monster slaying. Engraved into the bullet were several incantations and spells to increase their potency.

"Here we go!" Artemis said, on edge.

The car barreled around the corner. Entomon was walking down the middle of the street about ten yards ahead of them, and turned to face them the minute they were in view.

"Here goes," Sailor V thought, pushing the door open.

She had just begun to throw herself out when Artemis suddenly slammed on the breaks, stopping the car in the middle of the road! V yelped our in surprised as she was thrown into the dashboard, banging her elbows and wrists. She looked at him angrily.

"Hey?! What gives…" she trailed off. The look of Artemis's face made her stop.

He wasn't paying any attention to her. In fact, he didn't seem to hear her at all. Artemis's face was ghostly white and his expression was that of stunned horror. His mouth hung open, but he only took shallow, terrified little breaths. His eyes had grown quite wide staring upon the great youma.

"Artemis?" V asked.

She looked from him to the beast in the middle of the road. It was slowing advancing on them, smiling wickedly at them.

"Entomon."

V turned back to Artemis.

"What?" V asked.

Entomon then roared at them and began to charge. Artemis actually screamed and threw the car into reverse. Sailor V was really scared now. If Artemis was so terrified of that thing chasing them that he'd drive so recklessly to get away, then she knew it had to be fearsome beast, indeed. V grabbed hold of her seatbelt before she could be thrown forward again. Artemis floored it and Entomon started to chase them. It looked like they might get away. They were pulling away from him!

"Artemis! What is that thing?! What's wrong?" V asked hysterically.

"It's Entomon, one of the Seven Great Youma!" Artemis said replied. "And…"

Artemis glanced forward again, and screamed again.

"Oh, God, Mina! Bail!" he shouted.

Entomon had lunged for them and in his jump had caught up to the vehicle. He was about to drop down right on top of them headfirst and jaws opened wide. Both occupants of the car cried out and they hastily unbelted themselves and dove out of their respective doors.

The youma smashed through the front seat of the car in a move that would have killed them both had they not escaped in time. Sailor V painfully picked herself up off the sidewalk and saw Entomon angrily tear the car in two. Artemis was lying at the edge of the road not far away on his side. His back was turned, but he wasn't moving. Entomon looked from him to her, and back. The beast turned to Artemis. Sailor V gritted her teeth both as she stood up. She'd have to bear the pain. She planted herself in place firmly. She pointed a finger at the insect.

"Hey…you!" she shouted.

Entomon stopped and looked over his shoulder her.

"CRESCENT BEAM!" she shouted.

* * *

"Blasted thing. I hate these things people call, 'computers'," Rusila swore.

Before her, the machine that was _supposed _to obey her commands had just shut itself down, and not due to any routine repairs or downloads, mind you. The commands she had tried entering blew its electronic mind, so to speak. Rusila pressed the startup button on the power and leaned back, waiting for it load up again.

"Now that's no way to treat a computer. They're delicate devices that require a subtle touch."

Rusila faced the source of the voice with a sour look.

"And I suppose you'd know all about that, Wren?" she asked snippily.

"Well, I _did_ teach Casanova everything he knew," Wren replied, smirking.

"Get real. You were the one begging him to share his secrets with you," Rusila said, turning back to the computer screen.

"Hey, did you lose weight? You're looking _real_ good today?" Wren said, brushing back his long, red hair and putting on his best smile.

"I will reframe from killing him. I will reframe from killing him…" Rusila mentally chanted.

"Ignoring me, huh?" Wren asked.

"What was your first clue?" Rusila answered with a question of her own.

"Now that's not nice," Wren said.

His pocket began buzzing, indicating an incoming call. He took it out and saw that Sailor V was trying to contact him.

"Hang on, love, I gotta take this," he said, sounding a little confused.

"Hello?" he asked into the speaker.

"Whoever this is…I need help!" Mina screamed.

"M-Mina?! This is Wren. What's going on?" Wren asked.

His demeanor turned serious as he spoke. Rusila turned around in her chair to look at him with an inquiring expression. Before Mina could reply, _something_ could be heard roaring and carrying on in the background and there was a loud crash like concrete being ripped apart.

"Mina? Mina?!" Wren yelled into the received.

"I'm here!" Sailor V answered after a moment.

"Where's Artemis? What's going on?!"

"We have big trouble here! Artemis is down, but I've got the monster chasing me! This guy's too tough for just me! HEEEEELP!"

Mina's plea was cut short by more sounds of chaos erupting in the streets. Wren could hear the girl screaming while whatever was chasing her continued to rampage.

"Hello, are you still here?!" Sailor V's voice cried.

"Yes, I'm here!" Wren answered.

"Send help! I'm not far from an arcade called The Game Crown! Luna will know where it is! Artemis called the thing attacking us, 'Entomon'! Ring any bells?"

Wren nearly dropped the phone. Just the sound of that name was enough to make his blood run cold. V hung up, and Wren was left standing here, utterly unable to respond for several seconds. Rusila reached out and slapped his arm. Wren flinched, coming out of his shock. He looked at her.

"Well, what was that about?" Rusila asked.

Wren just stared at her dumbly at first, but then uttered something she had hoped never to hear again.

"Entomon."

* * *

A motorcycle with a sidecar pulled up to the parking lot out front of the Joe's Convenience Store. Haruka poked her head out of the window as Ami, Luna, and Kratos approached.

"I got here as quickly as I could!" Haruka said. "Are we all ready to go?"

"Yes," Luna said, climbing into the sidecar.

Kratos led Ami over to his car.

"Alright, we have to get there quickly," Luna said. "So just…"

"LUNA!"

Luna turned back to the store to see Wren and Rusila bursting out of the front door, running straight for them.

"Don't leave yet, something bad, _real _bad is happening downtown!" Wren shouted.

Haruka and Luna exchanged looks and turned their full attention to him.

"What's happening, Wren?" Kratos asked.

Wren and Rusila slowed down to a stop a short distance from the four.

"Entomon! That's what! According to Artemis, Entomon, the Great Youma is stomping police cars in the middle of Tokyo," Wren answered.

Luna's face paled, but Kratos didn't look convinced.

"Impossible," Kratos replied. "Her Majesty Serenity sealed them all away using the Silver Crystal. _Nothing_ could break the seal she place don them."

Luna looked at him seriously.

"If Artemis says that one of the Seven Great Youma has returned, then I believe him!" she said.

"So what now?" Haruka asked.

Luna sat there for a moment, considering the options.

* * *

Moon and Mars hit the gravel rooftop.

"Again?" Moon asked, as she and Mars took out their cells.

"Yeah?"

"Luna speaking. Moon, Mars, we have a more pressing matter now that takes precedence over the park…near the Game Crown, a creature named Entomon has been set loose in the city! He's one of the Seven Great Youma, and far more powerful than anything you've faced thus far. You need to proceed with the upmost caution."

"What about Jupiter at the park?" Moon asked.

"Mercury and Kratos will back her up, but you and Mars need to get down to the arcade, _pronto_. Sailor V and Artemis are already on the scene, but they need backup. Haruka and I will also be coming to assist," Luna said.

Moon's eyes widened. Motoki! And who knew how many of her other friends could have been caught up in the rampage!

"We're on it!" she said without hesitation.

"More rooftops?" Mars asked, crossing her arms.

"More rooftops," Moon replied.

With a running start, Moon leapt across the way again, landing on the opposite building. Mars sighed and followed suit, now heading in an altogether different direction towards the Game Crown.

* * *

"Alright," Luna said, hanging up. "They're on their way. Haruka, let's go!"

"And what about us?" Wren asked, gesturing to Rusila and himself.

"Go with Kratos and Mercury," Luna replied. "They can use the backup, I'm sure."

With that, Haruka drove off with Luna in tow.

"Haruka," Luna said while they drove.

"Yes, ma'am," Haruka replied.

"Try not to endanger any civilians this time," Luna said.

"No promises," Haruka answered.

* * *

_BRRRR-ZAP!_ Another horde of animals ran off back to their woods. Mask batted away another badger before it had the chance to attack to Jupiter before she could get another shock built up. All the while, Kirishima watched them vanquish his army of animals, growing more and more enraged with every passing second. Until at last, he could take no more of this and jumped down from his perch atop the train's cabin.

Jupiter and Mask turned his way as he began to approach them.

"Here he comes. Be ready for anything," Mask said.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Jupiter answered.

Kirishima then stopped several yards from them, but continued to glower.

"You people forget the boon that nature provided you with," he said.

Then the most disturbing smile crossed his lips.

"So now, you to DIE!" he suddenly shrieked.

His entire body heaved suddenly, and his smile vanished. Then he went into convulsions where he stood. He gripped his chest as it pained him.

"What's wrong?!" Jupiter cried.

She started running toward him to help, but it was too late. Without rhyme or reason, his mouth opened wide and all his bodily liquids drained out of it. His body quickly dried out on the spot, until there was nothing left but his mummified remains, which fell onto the ground and shattered into dust. Jupiter stood, staring horror as the moister floated into the air directly over him. It was more than just his body's fluids, though. It glowed with the life energy that had been within him.

Then the light and liquid took shape and something else came into existence. It stood at roughly the same height as the man it had stolen the life from, but it was _not _him. It was partially humanoid, possessing a man-like torso and arms, and it was male. Below the waist, he had goat legs covered with brown fur and had a pair of goat horns. It was armed with a single flute.

"A satyr," Mask said, identified the creature.

"You were able to stop the attack since it was just isolated to this location, but how about this!" the satyr exclaimed.

He put the flute to his lips, and Jupiter and Mask charged at him, readying their attacks. The satyr blew a single, shrill note before they reached, but just before Jupiter's punch met his body, it scattered into leaves and blew away. Then it reformed into the creature several yards off.

"You weren't fast enough, Warrior!" the satyr yelled. "I've already sent every animal in this park into a rampage! They will massacre every human they come across, both within and without the park!"

Then he laughed and disappeared again.

"Wait-!" Jupiter cried as he vanished from sight.

"Never mind that! Listen!" Mask said.

Jupiter did as he said. All around, she could hear as the cries of the park's animals and of people as they were attacked. Mask turned to her. Flocks of birds flew overhead going into the city. Jupiter's eyes flashed with fury.

"Unforgivable!" she cried.

She started back into the trees, but was stopped by Mask's hand pulling her back. He dug his feet into the ground, grinding them both to a halt. Jupiter shrugged his hand off and turned to him angrily.

"What?!" she said snippily.

"We need a more backup," he said. "Get in contact with your Keepers and bring in a whole brigade if you have to!"

* * *

Sailor V peered from the storm drain she'd slid into. Entomon walked right past it. She could hear him smelling her out. V closed her eyes as she kept her breathing under control. With him chasing her, he hadn't the chance to devour any other innocents, and Artemis was recovering on the sidewalk several blocks back.

"Stay calm, stay calm," she told herself.

She opened her eyes again and watched as Entomon passed by. She had a simile of a plan in the works. His tough hide had been too strong for her Crescent Beam to pierce, but if she could weaken it, somehow, she might have a chance. She leaned to the far side of the drain to peer out as he slowly walked past.

"Alright, one for the money, two for the show, and three to get ready…here I go!" she thought, psyching herself up.

Sailor V quickly pushed up on the drain lid and rolled out onto the street. Entomon stopped and turned to see her down on knee with her out-stretched and her open palm held up.

"VENUS SULFUR SMOKE!" she shouted.

A pungent, sulfurous cloud of smoke blasted from her open palm as if it were fired from the nozzle of a high pressure pump. Entomon grunted in surprise and stepped back as it overwhelmed him. Everything the cloud of corrosive touched began to dissolve.

Sailor V ceased the attack and held up her compact to throw.

"CRESCENT BOOMBERANG!" she shouted.

She threw it like a frisbee. In mid-flight, it took the shape of a glowing, razor-sharp disk. It flew through the dissipating cloud and struck its target. Sailor V smiled triumphantly momentarily, but as the deadly mist cleared, it faded to a grim expression. Her compact rolled away from Entomon, who stood there with only mild damage to his natural armoring. In seconds, his shell regenerated and it was as if no harm had been done.

"Is that it?" he asked.

He began walking toward her again. V fell back onto her dump, staring up at her despairingly.

"But…how…?" she murmured.

She'd given it her best shot and nothing fazed him. He stopped a pace in front of her.

"Not gonna run?" he asked.

"Why, you'd just chase me. I can't do anymore. Just get on with it and be on your way," she said.

He smiled, pleased with this response.

"If that's how you feel about it," he said.

He reached down and gripped her around waist. He picked her up off the ground. His mouth once again opened inhumanly wide. His head jerked before he plunged down at hers'. Her hand shot up pointing directly into his open mouth.

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

The ray fired, going straight down his throat. He roared painfully as his inwards were burned. He dropped her and she quickly hopped onto her feet before flipping away. She jumped up onto the roof of a car. She drew her compact back to her, and it answered her call, flying back to her hand. She scowled upon discovered that her latest effort only seemed to irritate his throat.

"GAAAAU! You little…!" Entomon rasped furiously.

He took the first step to begin another charge. V braced herself, but before either of them could make their move, a hail of fiery darts rained down on the insectoid. He screamed as his exoskeleton heated and his innards felt like they were going to boil. He stumbled around blindly until something else hit him.

Something silver and yellow slammed into the concrete in front and his shell was cut with something sharp. He jumped back, now sporting a large gash in his protective outer lair. Sections of his gray shell had turned red from the heat. Sailor V looked at the two figures that landed between her and Entomon.

"Moon! Mars!" she cried happily.

They gave her a sideways glance and smiled.

"Just in time, I see," Mars said.

"YOU!" Entomon roared.

Moon and Mars regarded him with tense stares. He snarled and began to advance on them. Sailor V hopped down from the car roof, taking a spot beside the two Warriors.

"The Celestial Warriors," he said contemptuously. "I should have known your filth was bound to show up sooner or later."

"Trash should just stay quiet," Mars said flatly.

Entomon growled at her. He already had the one he was going to kill first picked out. He wasn't stupid enough to move directly for her, though. He eyed Warrior Moon and Sailor V, knowing that they were more suited for close up combat than her and would get in the way at every opportunity. He'd have to subdue them before he could kill the archer girl. They stepped in front of Mars on either side, taking formation.

His pinchers all clicked eagerly. The girls tensed, knowing that he was going to charge again. His tail's stinger began to bob back-and-forth like a serpent. With a stomp, he began another roaring charge towards them. His arms, pinchers, and stinger were all in position to make killing strokes.

"Stay back!" Sailor V ordered, stepping in front of the other two holding out her compact again.

She popped it open, shouting:

"HYDROFLUORIC SHOWER!"

Clearing, smoking liquid poured forth from the opened compact like water from a fire hose. Entomon was brought to a halt, and as the corrosive liquid did its work, he let out an agonized scream.

"His shell grows back really fast! You two'll have seconds after I stop the stream to kill him!" Sailor V called over her shoulder to the Warriors. "On my mark…!"

Moon and Mars nodded. Mars notched a flaming dart and Moon drew her sword back to throw.

"Now!" Sailor V shouted.

She clamped the compact shut and dropped down in a full split. Without missing a second, the armored young women let fly their shots, first Mars and then Moon immediately after. The fiery arrow blasted a hole in Entomon's chest and one of Moon's blades jammed right into almost up to the hilt. Any further and the tip would have come out his back. He wheezed out a pained breath as he fell back, falling into a streetlamp.

Moon called to her sword, and leapt towards Entomon. It dislodged itself from his chest, making him jerk forward. Moon met it halfway to him. Behind her, Mars readied to fire again. None of them had taken their eyes off the creature. Sailor V rose onto a knee, compact also ready for action. So far she'd seen this being recover from several degrees of damage she'd laid on him, but this was the first time she or anyone else had gotten past his hard shell. She was expecting the worse, but hoping for the best.

Entomon stirred again just as Moon landed next to him and swung at his neck and hopefully remove his head. Her stroke came, strong and swift, but his tale snapped forward, catching the blade. His stinger and her blade clanged against each other. Moon's entire body shook, feeling the full force of that one. She's bitten her tongue accidentally, and wobbled back. Entomon grabbed by the arms and began to pull.

A combination of the Crescent Beam and a two fire arrows blasted him in the face. The insectoid cried out in pain covering his eyes with his hands. Moon pulled free of his grip and jumped up onto the streetlight above. She watched the bugman almost trip and from the blinding he'd just received from her perch atop the metal pole. With him rubbing his eyes, she had the perfect opportunity to strike him down.

She stepped off the light pole and fell towards him, blades twirling above her head. If she beheaded him now, the fight would be over. Entomon lowered a hand from his face and squinted up at her. He couldn't see clearly was bearing down on him, but he had a pretty good idea what, regardless. Without a moment to lose, he ducked down low, protecting his head. When Moon impacted, her blades glanced off his armor, leaving grooves in the shell.

Before he had another chance to try to grab her, she darted away from him. Entomon straightened up again. His vision was clearing up. In front of him were Sailor V and Mars. Warrior Moon was off to his left side in the middle of the street.

Moon's lips were turned down in a deep scowl. The corner of her mouth twitched, revealing gritted teeth.

"This guy's living up to his name so far. He hasn't had much chance to use that killer tail of his yet, and we have to take him down before he does. How do we approach this?" her thoughts raced.

Entomon's eyes darted from her back to the pair on the sidewalk. He'd attack V and Mars first. They were both weaker than the Moon girl. His decision made, Entomon leapt a short distance up in a manner similar to a whale or dolphin jumping out of water and then shortly turned himself down straight into the concrete. Everyone took a step backwards when he jumped with his claws and pinchers out-stretched, but instead of attacking either of the girls, he tore right through the pavement with his claws. He tunneled into it like a badger or mole into loose soil, and began submerging himself.

"Crap! Stop him!" Sailor V shouted.

Everyone raced to get to him, but they weren't quite fast enough, and he disappeared below the concrete. They tried peering into the hole he left behind, but it was filled with chunks of cement. Moon looked from to the hole over to a sewer outlet.

"Did he…go into the sewers?" she asked.

She started to take a step, but Sailor V grabbed her and held her back. Moon and Mars looked at her questioningly, but the sailor suited girl just held up a finger to her lips. She had a feeling that they needed to stay quiet right now. So far, Entomon had displayed sharp hearing, and if they couldn't see exactly where he was coming from with him literally underfoot, then things could go very badly very quickly. Right now, Sailor V was hoping to wait him out and hope that the city noises drowned out any sound they made. The three of them stood silence for several minutes. The sounds of police and emergency sirens could faintly be heard, though all other signs of life had long since fled the scene.

It was because of this relative silence that they heard the motorcycle coming. The three turned as Haruka skidded around the corner. Luna held on for dear life. Moon's eyes widened with horror. She knew. They all knew what was about to happen. Moon inhaled and exhaled thrice, psyching herself up to yell. She threw up both arms in a "Stop" motion.

"No, stay back!" she shouted.

Haruka blinked, the purpose of telling them to go away lost on her. She slowed down as they neared. She and Luna looked around as they got close.

"No, don't slow down! Get out of here!" Mars shouted.

Luna started to speak.

"Where's Ento…?"

The pavement cracked under the bike. Haruka and Luna looked down as the earth below them burst open and the very creature they'd come to help vanquish was in sight, all pointed edges coming up from either side of the bike, and right at them. Both women let out short screams as they bailed off the bike. While Haruka was able to just swing one leg over the side and leap away, hitting the ground running. Luna simply fell out of the sidecar the instant she had the door open and crawled away as fast as she could. Mars ran up to Luna and helped her up, and then they both retreated away from Entomon.

Entomon picked up the vehicle he'd come up under and tossed it aside. Haruka's mouth dropped open as her precious motorcycle went sailing through the air and through the third floor window of a nearby building.

"MY BIKE!" she cried, despairingly.

She glared at Entomon.

"You…" she growled, taking off her riding helmet.

Haruka chucked the hard piece of reinforced plastic at the insectoid before drawing her sword from its sheath. The helmet made a 'clunk' sound as it bounced off his armored-shell. Entomon turned to them with a look of annoyance.

"Please don't taunt the crab!" Sailor V told Haruka.

"Crab? CRAB?!" Entomon roared.

Everyone took a step back in fright.

"Way to go, V," Mars said sarcastically.

"I'LL SHOW YOU ALL WHAT I AM! AND I AM NOT A CRAB!" Entomon bellowed, lunging at them.

The group scattered in all directions to avoid the insectoid's many reaching limbs, but he had anticipated the move, and plunged head first back into the concrete. Spread out over the sidewalks and street, Moon Mars, Sailor V, Luna, and Haruka looked around, focusing on the ground and listening for any sound of rock being burrowed through. Now began the waiting game again, and they frankly very uncertain of what to do.

**A/N: **Annnnd that is a good place to leave off for now. I know this is a little short again, but we're in for another long haul, possibly longer than any previous haul with the two battles going on in Tokyo right now in this story.

_Celestial Warrior Moon _has joined another community, _Anime, Books, Movies, and Videogame stories: Greatest Hits_. URL: community/Anime-Books-Movies-and-Videogame-stories-Greatest-Hits/8679/. It's exclusively for popular stories. It's nice to know that I've finally written something that strikes a chord with readers. Thank you, Enigma-Nemesis, for including _Celestial Warrior Moon_. And if anyone suggested my fic to EN, thank you, too.

100 reviews! Woot-woot!


	25. Chapter 23: Blunder and Lightning

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **Yep, this is where things are going to start heating up. ;)

**SomeoftheFame: **Ask and thou shall receive.

**Ask Devil Sadist: **I've been reading your _Sailor Moon _fan, _A New Order_, and it's very promising so far. Hey, guys, if you want to read a really fun _Sailor Moon_ fanfic, check out Ash's.

**Tomorrow4eva: **Just wait. The scares will start getting even worse towards the end. MWAHAHA!

**BelieveInUs: **Entirely understandable. I can see how my writing style would be a mixed bag, considering that some of my chapters go on 15,000 words.

**Chapter 23**

**Blunder and Lightning**

Two cars pulled into the Nakashima Park parking lot. Kratos and Ami climbed out of one, and Wren and Rusila, the other.

"Do we where to start looking?" Rusila asked, brandishing her mace and looking for a skull to turn to paste.

"Well…" Ami said.

She took out her computer and booted it up.

"Take a look at what's happening right here," Wren told her.

Ami looked up. All manner of animal was running rabidly through the park and some even left the ground altogether going into the city.

"Is the entire park going wild?" Ami asked.

On the wind, they could hear something faintly.

"Hey, what's that?" Kratos asked.

The four went silent, listening to that sound. It was exactly like a…

"A satyr flute," Wren muttered.

Kratos turned to Ami.

"Transform, now," he said.

"Huh?" Ami looked confused.

"We'll need someone who specializes in ranged magical attacks to take that satyr down. Physical blows do nothing. Their bodies can turn incorporeal upon being attacked. We'll need a magic user, and Wren here is only adequate in magic," Kratos explained.

"Hey!" Wren said defensively.

A stern glare from a Kratos told him not to argue right then.

"Wren, go with Mercury to the target. Kratos and I will try to contain the animals here," Rusila ordered.

"Sure thing, my sweet honey," Wren answered, smirking.

Rusila punched him in the arm in response.

"Stop calling me _that_!" Rusila growled.

"Scccary!" Wren teased.

He turned to Mercury, who'd transformed into her gear already.

"Let's go!" he said. "Lead that way, and use that computer to find the satyr."

"Can't we just the follow the sound of the music?" Ami asked.

Wren shook his head.

"No. Its music is deceptive. You can't trust its sound. You have to either _feel _or use a device to find where it's coming from," he replied.

They took off with Ami leading the way.

"Alright, you try to corral some fauna, I'll call in a control team," Rusila told Kratos.

* * *

"Where did he go?!" Jupiter yelled as she and Mask ran through the park, desperately looking for the source of their troubles.

"I don't know! Try calling them again!" Mask answered.

"I've done three times now! I don't have any reception here, I'm telling you!" Jupiter answered.

Two other people burst out from off from the trail.

"Wren! Mercury!" Jupiter called out to them.

"Follow us! We'll take you to the satyr!" Wren answered, not stopping.

"Roger!" Jupiter answered.

She and Mask followed after them, towards the sound of the Satyr's music.

* * *

Artemis groaned, beginning to stir from his unpleasant slumber. His eyes opened slightly.

"Why am…?" he wondered.

He realized that he was laying on something hard and that he was hearing the sounds of the city all around. His vision was foggy, and he tried to blink it off. He pulled himself up until his shoulders held him up. He blinked, trying to clear his vision.

"Now, what I was…?"

His eyes widened with the remembrance.

"Entomon!" he rasped.

With a grunt, he heaved himself up and looked around. He had been lying on the sidewalk. Not a living soul was around. He looked down and saw his gun lying next to him. He picked up and removed the clip. Then he reached into his belt and pulled out another. He examined them closely before loading them into the gun.

"Out with the Magic Rounds, in with the Anti-Magic ones," he muttered.

The gun cocked into position automatically. He looked up from it to the trail of rubble ahead of him.

"At least it won't be hard to find Mina," he thought.

He tried to get up, but his left leg suddenly throbbed with pain and he had to sit down again. Artemis's teeth clenched as he felt up the hurting limb. It wasn't broken, but it must have been twisted in the fall from his car. He tried again, favoring his good leg. Then he started limping as fast as he could down the street on the trail of Entomon and his partner.

"Have to catch up with Mina… these Anti-Magic rounds are our only hope of winning this fight. If she can weaken his shell enough that I can shoot one of these babies to go into him, it'll slow his regeneration down enough that we should be able to land a fatal blow that'll stick," he thought.

* * *

Not far from where Entomon and his four opponents fought, Aqua watched the situation. She peered around the corner of a building keeping watch over the situation. She wore a look of faint concern. Entomon wasn't performing quite up to snuff. His full strength had not returned yet. His awakening was still incomplete. Overhead the whirr of a news helicopter could be heard.

The copter angled itself so that the cameraman filming from one of the side doors could get a better view of the fight.

"Hello," the news anchor said spoke from the front passenger seat. "This Masa Hyugga with the Evening News! Continuing with our earlier story, chaos was erupted in our own backyard with news of a monster attack breaking out at the Game Crown Arcade. The police have been powerless to stop this menace, but it seems someone else in stepping in to do what they can't. These four unidentified people have appeared and have actually began to do battle with the lobster-like beast, and seem to be breaking even with it. Two of them are armored and are suspected to be the warrior women who fought the amphibious attackers who attempted to steal the sapphire crystal during Queen Elizabeth's exhibition of the gem at Buckingham Palace. This…I have never seen anything else like this before. It's truly amazing, and frightening!"

Down below, Luna's eyes were austere as she walked behind Entomon. She, Warriors Moon and Mars, Sailor V, and Haruka surrounded the creature. He cackled while watching them. Aweless was his gave.

"You can't beat me, you know," Entomon said, mockingly. "I am Entomon, Fourth Born of our Great Mother."

"Great Mother?" Moon asked, confused.

"Oh, _yes,_ our Great Mother," Entomon answered, smiling widely. "She's been called many things. 'The Terror from Beyond the Stars', Lilith, Hela, and many others, take your pick, but the one that the Lunarians seem to love throwing around is by far the most disrespectful…_The Entity. _The Seven Great Youma, the greatest of all the Dark Kingdom's soldiers, born from her loving womb," he finished.

"…Figures," Mars sighed.

She could have called that one the instant he started blabbing about his "great mother".

"Your mother is that _thing_ they have frozen at the North Pole?" Sailor V asked.

"MY MOTHER IS NOT A THING!" Entomon bellowed fiercely.

Sailor V backed away from his outburst.

"And what a winning combination," Luna fired back angrily. "…An abomination from another world and her children setting themselves up as gods to be worshipped by scared people unable to stop them."

Entomon glared at her, silently warning her to not to say another word.

"You stupid Lunarians never were able to stop any of us," he taunted. "It took the ultimate power held by your queen to bring us down?"

Then Entomon feigned looking all around him with exaggerated motion.

"Well, I don't see any Queen Serenity," he said, and then turned back to Luna.

"You lot? Fight me? This is bad comedy, and I'd know. I've eaten funnier jesters than you," he said viciously.

"Why, you…!" Luna said angrily.

Sailor V took this moment to speak up.

"Hey, lobster!" she called.

Entomon growled at her.

"Just how did you return, anyway?" Sailor V asked.

Entomon scoffed.

"I was reborn as a worthless human, of all things!" Entomon bellowed with disgust.

Moon's face turned from one of resolution to one of shock.

"Y-you were human?" she whispered.

Entomon smirked at her. He tapped the side of his head with a claw.

"Oh, yes, girl. This body still contains trace amounts of memory. The only thing I remember from that _other_ life is being really good at…" Entomon trailed off.

He couldn't quite find the word, but after a few seconds it came to him.

"Crane games! That's all I remember. I was some kind of expert with emptying those things out at that…arcade I woke up in! I hope to Mother that that isn't all there is to remember, or else that'd just be even more embarrassing!"

"No…" Moon gasped, realizing who this was.

"Can we just kill this guy now?" Haruka asked.

"Yes! We _won't _let him leave this place alive!" Luna shouted.

Moon looked at them with shock.

"But, what if we can still save the human he'd become reborn as?" Moon asked.

Luna responded with a look of incredulousness.

Entomon just rolled his eyes. His lips curled up into a broad, mocking smile. He rolled his shoulder, loosening up the muscles. He knew what they planned to do. The plan of attack was simple. They had him surrounded while they kept him talking. With them fighting him from all sides, his many limbs would be kept occupied and no one person would have every claw and pincher aimed at them. Entomon turned to Sailor V, and sprinted across the pavement towards her.

Entomon had picked Sailor V as his target for a reason. With her ability to melt his shell, she _had_ to be the first to go! Moon returned her attention to him. Her throat felt very dry right now. She…she couldn't kill this beast, could she? But he was trying to murder one of her allies. Action was called for, and they sprang into it! Entomon could hear the other all closing in around from the sides and behind him. He saw the black-haired Lunarian woman rushing in from the left with her spear. It glowed with the power she was flowing into it. From the right, that girl with the short blonde hair that he'd almost mistaken for a boy had her sword drawn back to one side and was ready to slash at him with it. So the two Warriors were right behind him. With the threat calculated, he acted accordingly.

He pivoted on his heels and spun himself, out-stretching his tail. His spin around a whole 360 degrees, forcing V, Haruka, and Luna to withdraw from him, but Moon jumped over his tail, while Mars stopped just out of its reach. Moon's leap landed her right next to him. She held up her sword to bring it down on his head, but then hesitated. Her conflicted emotions cost her that fatal blow. Entomon's tail flicked up, bashing her across the back. She was sent flying clean over him and through the second floor window of a nearby building.

"MOON!" Mars cried with concern.

She turned to Entomon, outrage in burning in her eyes. She drew back an arrow, which began growing far larger than it needed to be. Luna was similarly incensed by this, and with a growl, threw her spear at him. He knocked it away before it hit with him. Mars unleashed the full fury of her flame. Entomon felt the heat just a second before it hit. The humongous projectile hammered him, making him lurch forward. It burst and covered his entire body in flame once more.

Mars drew another arrow back and fired it. Knowing what was coming Entomon bent over and dug his claws into the pavement. With a loud 'CRACK', a big hunk of cement broke free from the road and he lifted it up. Mars took a step back as he flung the big chunk of rock at her. Mars dived to the side. It smashed into a row of cars after passing _just_ behind her. She'd barely dodged one bullet, but then one of the cars was sent into a spin by the collision and slammed right into Mars's side. She let out a short agonized grunt and was sent tumbling over the ground before coming to rest, sprawled out and face down. She let out a drawn out groan, lying perfectly still.

Entomon turned to V, Luna, and Haruka. V popped her compact open.

"CRECSENT MOON!"

The ray blasted his eyes again. Entomon roared in agony and lashed out with his claws and pinchers blindly. Haruka blocked and parried slashing her sword in a figure 8 out in front, but Luna was not so lucky. A lucky swing smacked her across the torso and sent her sprawling back. The strike drew blood and Luna lied on the ground curled into a tight ball, clutching her bleeding side. Entomon reached for Sailor V with his claws, but she dodged to the side. He'd anticipated this and his tail jerked down and stuck her in one of her legs with it. She cried in pain as the poisoned tip injected the venom into her.

"MINA!" Luna cried.

She hoisted herself up and crawled towards the girl.

Sailor V collapsed onto the ground in a pile when he pulled the stinger out. Knowing that the lunarian woman would be busy tending to the screaming girl, Entomon turned his full attention to the Haruka. He lashed out with his tail again, but she sidestepped the blow. He pursued her, reaching out with all his claws. Haruka skillfully dodged from side, occasionally counterattacking. He threw a punch at her, but she brought down her sword in his forearm, sending it off-course. Haruka leapt away from him.

"Pffft!" she sneered.

She hadn't actually done any damage to him, even with her enchanted sword. Moon flew out of the window she'd just through. She threw herself through the air downwards right at the crustacean menace. Her blades and body shimmered, even in broad daylight.

"RRRRAAAAUGH!" she screamed.

He about-faced in response to the sound. She swung the blades around, cutting him across the throat. The blades broke the hard skin, and blood gushed from the wound. He made a gurgling sound with his throat as he stumbled back. The other blade swung around, but he caught this one with his claw. The strike, none the less, cut into the shell, and cracked it all the way through.

Haruka dashed in from behind. Her sword's blade also began to glow as the energies fused into it activated. Entomon heard her coming, but he did not take his eyes off the Warrior in front of him. Before she could pull back, he gripped the blade that'd just tried to kill and yanked it out of her grip, and then tossed it aside. Without her double-sword, Moon retreated, taking several jumping steps to get away from him. He knew she'd call the sword back to her, but he'd given himself a brief distraction with which to deal with his other attacker.

He whipped around into Haruka's swing. Her sword glanced off his chest, and before she could recover, his head ducked down and he butted her. The force colliding with her torso knocked Haruka to the ground on her back. She looked up just as he was bearing down on her, mouth opened wide to devour her. She flattened herself on the ground as terror shook her to the core. Time seemed to slow down as the monstrous being seemed to inch closer and closer. Fear filled every corner of Haruka's being. She feebly raised her sword to protect herself.

"Oh God, no, I'm going to die!" her panicked mind thought.

Her arms moved automatically and she opened her mouth to speak. When she did, words very much foreign to her sprung from her throat, instead of a familiar incantation she'd use as a means of attack.

"SPACE SWORD!" she shouted.

Then, obeying the call of its master, her sword glowed and suddenly grew several times bigger as she brought it across in an angled strike. Upon contact with Entomon, there was an explosion of energy and it cut through him down deep, but then the sword shattered and the resulting burst sent him flying high up into the air, away from her. Entomon crashed through the roof of one of the nearby buildings. Haruka didn't have time to contemplate the strange happening. She let out a pained cry as several small fragments of steel from the sword's fractured blade imbedded themselves into her hands. Haruka's bleeding hands quivered as she held them up to inspect the damage. The flesh had several deep cuts and several tiny metal splinters stuck out from the wounds.

Not far from where she lied down on the concrete, Luna stared over at her with wide eyes. Next to her, Sailor V took deep, slow breaths. Luna's hands were pressed against either side of Entomon's stinger-wound. A light green liquid was running out from the wound. It was the venom that Luna had managed to draw out from it with her arts. Though her leg still hurt terribly, Sailor V's life was no longer in jeopardy.

"That…that technique," Luna murmured, still staring at Haruka.

The sound of glass and metal breaking interrupted her train of thought. Everyone turned as Entomon burst from the front of the building he's flown into, and he looked mad!

"Space…sword…" he growled.

He took in a breath.

"SPACE SWORD!" he bellowed viciously.

He stared right at Haruka. Using her legs, Haruka pushed herself up to her legs. She looked down at her ruined hands. She was helpless like this and knew it.

"I KNOW YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Entomon screamed.

He dug into the pavement with his feet and began charging. Moon and Luna quickly ran out into the road and stood between him and Haruka. The sound of pounding footsteps aroused Mars from her uncomfortable sleep. She didn't move, but she did open her eyes. A large mass zipped past her. Her eyes narrowed and she climbed to her feet. Her side still ached something horrible, but that wasn't about to stop her now.

She formed an arrow in her palm and notched it. She took aim and fired. The arrow flew towards its mark, and…it hit his leg, tripping the crustacean up. Entomon fell face down on the concrete. Then Mars drew back and fired another one, and then another, and another, in a relentless hail of flaming arrows. He turned from them to her, snarling. He growled and started stomping towards her, speeding up into a run. His feet pounded the street as he closed in. Mars responded by drawing another arrow, but this time when she released it, when it fired she left her palm open and fire streamed from it, funneled past her bow's sight and it then broke into a continuous hail of arrows from there.

The force of the fiery darts slowed Entomon's forward rush to a stop briefly, and pushed him back. But Entomon dug his claws into the pavement and started forcing his way forward again. By now, his body was boiling hot, and boy did he feel it. He held up his arms and pinchers over his body to take the brunt of the attack, but that only helped a little.

"Have to…get her…now…or I'm going to…pass out…" he thought.

Moon and Luna exchanged a look and made their movie. Luna looked over her shoulder at Haruka.

"Get out of here, and get those treated as soon as you can! That's an order!" Luna said.

Haruka nodded and retreated from the battle. Luna turned back to Entomon. Moon took a running start before launching herself through the air low to the ground. She powered up her blades again. She brought one around first like a club. With it, she knocked Entomon's tail out of the way, and then properly slashed the other one across, cutting into his back. She'd surged every bit of strength she could work up into the second blow. It cut another deep groove into his shell and the force sent him onto his hands and knees.

Moon fell back before any fire arrows could accidentally hit her. She trotted backwards until she was next to Luna again.

"No good! Even while being burned alive his shell to too rough to cut through!" Moon said.

Now Entomon was crawling towards Mars on all fours. She slowly and carefully started to step back to keep out of reach. Luna turned to Sailor V. She had stood back up, tenderly holding her still aching leg.

"Sailor V, can you melt his shell with a blast from your Hydrofluoric Shower?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, but what good will that do? He just grows everything back," Sailor V asked.

Mars was breathing hard, straining to keep the barrage up.

"Whatever we do, we better do it now! Mars is ready to collapse!" Moon said.

"Hit him with the Shower!" Luna ordered Sailor V. "Melt his shell away again, and then we'll hit him with everything we've got!"

"But we tried that already!" Moon protested. "It didn't work!"

"Then what do you suggest?!" Luna demanded.

"THIS!" Moon answered.

She began to running towards Entomon and Mars. When she had come up right behind him, she pushed off the ground and flipped through the air overhead. Mars saw her coming and also saw that she was going to land right in the path of the arrows. Luna stared with disbelief. Sailor V covered her eyes.

Mars cried out and hastily ceased the stream as quickly as she could. It was cut off and the last of the fiery darts was unleashed. Moon landed facing her just in time to avoid the last of them. With the release from the strain, Mars's body relaxed and she fell onto her knees and began breathing deeply and quickly. She didn't even have the strength to reprimand Moon right then. Entomon, with his body red from the scolding he'd just received, lunged at the blonde warrior girl. Moon twisted her torso to the side and a blade right at him to intercept the attack.

Entomon's jaw unhinged and he opened wide to gobble her up. He came down and Moon's sword came up. She plunged her weapon into his mouth and down his throat, but the force of his pounce bore her to the ground. She grunted in pain as she was slammed into the concrete, but she'd prepared herself and that didn't stop her. While Entomon paused from the pain of having a sword's blade stabbing the back of his throat, Moon channeled all her power and blasted it into his insides.

The force of the blast knocked Moon flat against the ground, and raw power blasted all through Entomon with such force that its light blasted out from every joint in his armoring, also throwing out several junks of meat and muscle in the process. At the moment, Entomon was in so much pain that his body locked in place. Entire sections of shell broke off and clattered to the ground. Fresh shelling tried to grow over, but with his exsoskeleton red and soft, they were just blow away again.

Now wanting to miss her chance, Sailor V sprang into action. As she quickly as she could, she dashed over to the massive bug and held her compact directly over one of the exposed section.

"Melt from the inside, you bastard!" she rasped. "HYDROFLUORIC SHOWER!"

The acid poured out once more, but at a much less powerful flow to avoid dripping it all over Moon, who was still lying underneath the massive monster. Entomon screamed with a muffled voice and reared up. Moon kept a tight grip off her sword, allowing herself to be pulled up to her feet by him. Then she quickly pulled the sword from his mouth and retreated. She grabbed Mars by the arm and pulled her to her feet and started dragged her along, putting distance between themselves and the crustacean beast.

"Let him have it!" Moon called over her shoulders.

Sailor V backed up a few and then turned up the flow. Entomon was once again bathed in the corrosive liquid. Luna came up behind Sailor V.

"Alright, as soon as you've gotten him enough of a bath, turn it off the flow and we'll hopefully finish him off," Luna instructed.

V didn't look up from her target, but still nodded to show her acknowledgement of the order. Luna, Moon, and Mars gathered around the insectoid as close as they dared. They turned to Sailor V.

"Slopping the flow…NOW!" she cried.

She clamped the compact shut and the shower ceased. Moon and Luna rushed forward with their weapons poised and ready to stab down on the crustacean menace. With his shell compromised so, it was easy for the two women to drive their blades deep inside him and then pull them back out to plunge them back in! While the other two relentlessly stabbed and impaled Entomon, Mars walked around to his front and aimed an arrow at his head. She released and the fiery bolt went right into his forehead. After a few more stabs, Moon suddenly. She looked from the blood-soaked blade down to Entomon. She recoiled in horror.

"Oh, my…what have I…?" she gasped.

She had been so caught up in the fight that she had forgotten that there was still a human inside Entomon! Luna stopped as well and stepped back. Moon, from her position several paces away, leaned in to observe Entomon's still form.

Almost instantly, he began regenerating again. She almost breathed a sigh of relief. There was still time!

"Oh, man, come on!" Sailor V cried with disbelief. "First The Face Taker, and now this guy! What does it take to slay a freakin' monster around here?!"

"I don't know," Luna answered. "In a thousand years, no one ever managed to kill him."

By now, Entomon had stood up and was glaring at them furiously. He was healing quickly and before long, he'd be whole again. Moon braced to begin running. She was _not_ about to let that happen! They had to keep him down long enough to figure out a way to save the person inside!

"Stand aside!" a familiar voice shouted from behind.

Moon slid to a stop and looked behind her.

"Artemis!" Sailor V shouted.

Climbing over some rubble, the wiry man approached them. He held up his gun and took aim.

"MOVE!" he ordered Moon.

"Uh-right!" Moon stammered and stepped aside.

Now with his line of fire cleared, Artemis opened fire. He pulled the trigger in rapid succession. The bullets came, one after the other, all flying towards the shrinking hole in Entomon's chest. The first pierce his flesh, dead on. Entomon grunted, stepping back as more impacted his vulnerable hide. The wounds the metal balls left burned and he had to grit his teeth to keep from screaming.

The empty clip fell from Artemis's gun and bounced off the ground at his feet. He lowered it.

"Anti-Magic bullets! Now, quickly, kill him while I've stemmed his healing factor!" Artemis shouted.

Moon looked back at the half-melted insect man. Indeed, he had ceased healing. Entomon looked down at himself, gasped, and then looked up at the four warrior women that were closing in on him. He turned tail and tried to run, but Luna was too quick. She threw her spear and caught him in one of his leg's tendons. He slipped up and fell face down onto the ground. Before he had a chance to get back up, he felt a boot slam down on his back. He looked up at his assailant just in time for her to hold a crescent moon shaped blade up around his throat.

"No, wait! Do-don't kill me!" he begged.

"Hold still!" Moon ordered.

Entomon complied with her demand. As he lied there, Luna, Sailor V and Mars appeared in front of him from either side.

"Before we kill you, we need to know just one thing," Mars said.

"We're not killing him!" Moon said firmly.

Luna and Mars returned her statement with icy glares.

"Are you crazy?!" Mars demanded. "Just look around at what he's done! We can't spare this guy!"

"But he was human!" Moon argued.

"Yes, _was_, and now he's a monster! We have to kill him before his full strength returns!," Luna said bluntly.

Moon opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She turned away from Mars to Luna. Luna crossed her arms sternly.

"Kill him, now," Luna ordered.

"I…_I_…" Moon sputtered.

"Wait, hang on here!" Sailor V held up both hands. "Can't we just reseal Entomon and save whoever this guy was?"

"We don't have the power," Artemis said, limping up to them. "My bullets will only hold his healing powers in check for a short time. We _have _to finish him off now, or pay for it later."

He placed a sympathetic hand on Sailor V's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but it's just too late," he said solemnly.

He turned to look and nodded.

"Do it," he said.

"No, I don't buy that!" Moon cried.

She pointed a finger at Luna.

"If there's a way to save the human he was reborn as, I want to know now!"

Something rammed into Moon from behind and sent her sprawling into Mars, Sailor V, and Artemis, knocking everyone to the ground, excepting only Luna, who'd stepped from the collapsing forms of her allies quickly.

"Aqua!" Luna shouted.

She tried to stab the Atlantian with her spear, but Aqua caught the blow and pushed Luna away with enough force to send her flying into a nearby alleyway. Aqua bent over grabbed hold of Entomon's arm.

"Still not quite up to full power, eh?" she asked.

"Not yet," Entomon answered.

"Enough time, then," Aqua said.

With that, they both teleported away to safety.

Luna sat up and looked down the alley to the spot in the street where Aqua and Entomon had been.

"No…" she gasped. "No!"

She got up and bolted to where they had just been. She looked all the way around Moon and the others picked themselves up. Luna ran a hand through her hair.

"Oh, no…no. No! NO!" Luna screamed.

"Where do they go?" Moon asked.

Luna snapped towards her with a furious expression on her hand.

"Luna…?" Moon started to ask.

Luna then slapped Warrior Moon across the face harshly.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Luna demanded hysterically. "He got away! Entomon is still alive and free! Do you _have _any idea what that means?!"

Moon backed away from the screaming woman in fear and guilt of her role in this. She hung her head shamefully.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Moon said.

"Sorry doesn't save the people who will _die_ now!" Luna roared.

She turned her back on Warrior Moon and stormed away.

"Wait, Luna!" Moon called, but she was ignored.

Moon turned to Mars, who returned her stare with an icy one of her own.

"Mars?" Moon asked, beggingly.

Mars didn't answer. She just turned away and followed after Luna. Moon turned to Sailor V and Artemis. Sailor V looked sympathetic, and while Artemis didn't look happy, but his stare was far from chilly or angry.

"I…" Moon started, but stopped.

Artemis held up a hand.

"You messed up, kid," he said plainly. "And now we're all going to pay for it."

Artemis tried to follow after Luna, but his legs almost gave out under him.

"Artemis!" Sailor V cried.

She grabbed hold of his arm and held him steady. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and supported him. Then, with that, they followed after Luna and Mars. Moon stood there watching them leave. Her double-bladed sword fell from her hand and then she collapsed onto her knees. Tears streamed down her face. She doubled over and began crying into her hands. She'd failed. She'd failed to stop a horrible monster that once healed would murder and rampage once more, and she'd failed Joe, the man he'd been. What was she supposed to do now?

She heard the sounds of metal boots clanging against the asphalt approaching her. She looked up at whoever it was with tear-soaked eyes. It was Mars.

"Mars, you came back?" she asked.

Mars offered her hand, which Moon accepted. Mars pulled her to her feet.

"Mars, I…" Moon sputtered.

Mars didn't meet her gaze.

"…Listen…" Moon blubbered.

"Shut up," Mars said.

Moon did, indeed, go quiet, but only out of shock.

"There's another situation we need to deal with now," Mars said. "Come on, 'leader'."

Mars turned away and began walking down the road again. Moon wiped her eyes and then followed after her.

* * *

"Are we catching up to him yet?" Jupiter asked Mercury.

Mercury hesitated to answer as she ran at the front of the front of the group. They were almost at the other end of the park and still saw no sign of their target. The only indication she had that he was still in the area were the blips on the screen of her handheld. It showed him somewhere up ahead.

"Mercury!" Mask shouted.

"I don't know how close we are!" Mercury answered over her shoulder.

They rounded a final bend ending up back on the paved path through the park. Mercury slowed to a stop at the other gate of the park that was just ahead. Her handheld's screen indicated with an arrow that the satyr had left the park and gone over to the… She looked across and stiffened. A zoo. A zoo a large crowd of people was fleeing in terror out of.

"Oh, no…don't tell me…" Jupiter groaned.

"I'm afraid so, my hunnies," Wren said, signing. "This just got a lot messier."

He turned to Jupiter and Mercury with a hand gesturing them to ahead.

"Ladies first," he said.

Jupiter rolled her eyes and muttered something about "cowardice". She stepped in line next to Mercury and Mask.

"Let's do this," Jupiter said, pounding her knuckles together.

"Alright," Mask said. "This is your fight, Mercury."

Mercury nodded. Her face was serious. Inside, she was trying to stay firm, but she was scared. Real scared. That other fight she'd been in before was happened so quickly and it was in the heat of the moment. She didn't have time to think about what she was getting into, but their will flight through the park was more than sufficient. Mercury squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard.

"Here…here we go!" she said unevenly.

She and Jupiter and sprang into the air over the traffic and landed on the railings of concrete flower beds, and then they jumped again, over the panicking masses and over the fence into the zoo. Mask and Wren did the best they could to follow, running across the street through the traffic and muscling their way through the mob.

Jupiter and Mercury landed in the main plaza of the zoo. They scanned the area, and found it to be mostly emptied out, of both man and of animal. All the cages had been opened and their doors still hung open. Unsurprisingly, they were all empty of their intended occupants, too.

"Like the squirrels and deer weren't bad enough already," Jupiter groaned.

"Where did all the animals go?" Mercury asked, glancing down at her computer.

"Out into the city. So now we have lions, and tigers, and rhinos running loose in downtown Tokyo!" Jupiter answered in a groaning voice.

From where they stood in the plaza, they could hear the faint panicked screams all throughout the city.

"Oh, dear," Mercury said miserably.

"You can say that again," Jupiter muttered.

Jupiter looked at Mercury's handheld.

"Got a lead?" she asked.

"Uh…" Mercury hummed, looking down at the screen.

The screen showed a blip in the plaza with them. She looked up and slowly gave the area another look, but didn't see anything.

"_Oh, Warriors…_

"_Why are you such worriers?_

"_Come on in and play,_

_No hand on you shall I lay._

_Heh, I have lions, and tigers, and bears for that!"_

"Jerk stole my joke," Jupiter muttered witheringly.

It sounded like his voice was one with the wind. There was no one source either warrior could use to pinpoint the satyr's location. It just sounded like he was all around. They heard the sounding of two pairs of running feet coming up behind them. They didn't have to turn around to know that Mask and Wren had caught up to them.

"Did you find him yet?" Wren asked.

"We heard shouts and screaming nearby. What is going on?" Mask demanded.

"He's…right here," Jupiter answered.

Mask and Wren took one look at the empty animal cages and new immediately what was happening.

"Oh, man," Wren said miserably.

"Hey, hey, hey! You two just arrived in time to play!" the satyr's voice cheered.

Wren's shoulder sagged and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, greaaaaaaat…" he moaned.

"What? What?!" Jupiter asked.

"Well, my readings show that this satyr is wind based," Mercury answered, typing a few buttons.

"Oh a Wind Satyr," Wren groaned. "They're the worse."

"What do we do?" Jupiter asked.

"He'll have to return to his physical form eventually, or at least his essence will have to gather in place soon or later. He can't maintain his wind form indefinitely," Wren explained.

"So what happens until then?" Mask asked.

"_You play my little game," _the satyr's voice answered. _"Look to the paths ahead."_

Jupiter suspiciously glanced down the different avenues leading to different parts of the zoo. There were about a dozen in all from the main plaza at the entrance.

"_Now, I'm going to tell you all the rules of my game, but only once, and my way," _the satyr said. _"So listen close. To find me, just go where laws begin."_

"What the hell…?" Jupiter murmured.

Mercury went over the riddle in her head, and then snapped her fingers when she got it.

"The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building," she said.

"That big thing they just got done building last year?" Jupiter asked.

"Ooh…" Wren uttered, sounding very worried.

"What? What?!" Jupiter demanded.

"That's where they're holding a big press conference right now. All the important heads of state will be there right now," Wren answered.

A moment of silence passed, and then…

"Crrrrrrap," Jupiter and Mask muttered.

* * *

Yuuichiro, or "Chad", yawned as he entered the grocery holding up a list of things he'd been instructed to get.

"Oh, man, can't Sensei do his own shopping for once. I'm pooped from doing all of my and Miss Rei's chores. I wonder where she went off to, anyway," he thought.

He shrugged it off.

"Oh, well, she's still a kid. One day of goofing off won't hurt anyone, especially considering how devoted she usually is," he decided.

He grabbed a cart and started looking through the store, starting at one end. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the store, two other familiar faces also goods.

"So…how come I'm helping you with your groceries?" Umino asked Naru.

"Because you don't have enough productive things to do!" Naru replied curtly.

Umino sighed and followed her down the aisle, pushing the shopping cart.

"Now help me try to some vinegar," she said. "The all-natural kind."

Umino made a whining sound, but did as he was told and looked through the shelves for the desired liquid.

"Let's see… vinegar, vinegar, vinegar…" he mumbled.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Naru asked.

He turned from the shelf to her. She stood perfectly still, listening to something.

"Hear what?" he asked.

Then he heard the bottles and jars on the shelf rattling behind him. He slowly turned around and watched a small jar of olives vibrant where it sat until it worked its way off its perch and fell. He caught, just barely, and looked around at the rest of the shaking stock.

"What on…?" he asked in great confusion.

Finally, Umino could hear the pounding. It first, he thought it sounded like drums, but no, the rhythm was all wrong. Then Naru suddenly dashed to the front of the aisle to get a look outside.

"He-hey, wait!" Umino called, and followed after her.

She stopped before actually leaving the aisle, and Umino came up next to her. They never could have predicted what they saw through the windows and glass doors at the building's front. Elephants, rhinos, and many other kinds of animals stampeded past through the street.

"Wh-wh-wh-" Umino tried and failed to speak.

"Ah, man, did someone let all the animals out of a zoo?" Chad asked, standing nearby.

"Some crazy animal rights group?" Umino asked.

"Oh, if only we were so lucky," Naru thought.

Naru looked worried, but not surprised. Someone with less knowledge of what was going on would be very puzzled, but she knew there was precedent for this. And because she knew why this was happening, she knew that there was something horrible at work.

"Umino, come with me. Now," Naru ordered, grabbing his hand.

"Eh? Whoa!" Umino cried as she dragged him towards the back of the store.

"Don't ask any questions! Don't argue! Just come on!" Naru ordered.

"R-right!"

Behind them, they could hear one of the windows at the front break and the sounds of people screaming. Chad backed up back into the aisle before turning tail and running. He ran through it and past the two teens.

"Crap! A tiger got into the store! Run for it, kids!" he shouted.

"WHAT?!" Naru cried.

They heard the roar of the striped feline and the sounds of the crowd panicking. The orange black face of the big cat poked into the aisle they were in. All three of the patrons paled when its eyes settled on them.

"Oh, of course," Naru thought sourly before fear set in.

"OoooOoo-ho-oh! Crap!" Umino said with fear.

He reached into his pockets and began to frantically dig through them. He let out a relieved cry when he found what he was looking for and started to try yanking it out.

"Umino! What are you doing?! RUN!" Naru screamed and grabbed him.

"Huh?" Umino replied, looking up.

The tiger had run across the floor right at them.

"Kids! Get out of here!" Chad shouted.

He ran up, putting himself between himself and them and pushed them both away. The tiger was no more than about ten feet away reared up to pounce Chad.

"WATCH OUT!" Umino shouted.

The tiger rammed right into Chad, knocking all three of them to the ground underneath. It jumped on top of them before they could get away. By now, Naru was screaming at the top of her lungs. Chad held himself over the two children in preparation to protect them from the teeth and claws of the great beast pinning him down. The tiger raised one of its paws to bring it down across his back, but Umino was quick. He finally pulled the item he'd been trying to get out of the pocket out. He held it up, aiming it right the tiger. It was a small spray bottle. He squeezed the top and squirted the liquid inside directly into the tiger's face.

The tiger jerked back, off of Chad, roaring and hissing in pain. Chad slowly dared a look over his shoulders while Naru and Umino leaned to the sides to look past the young man. The tiger was rolling on the floor, desperately trying to wipe something out of its eyes, hissing and carrying on all the way. Chad and Naru turned to Umino, who held up the bottle again. Pepper spray.

Without saying another word, they got and ran off. From behind, they could hear the sounds of several footsteps coming pounding up the aisle. Chad dared a glance over his shoulder and saw a team of Animal Control rushing to contain the still immobilized tiger. Two men looped the nooses at the end of long, metal sticks around its neck while someone else held up a tranquilizer gun.

"Good going, kid," Chad said, clapping Umino lightly on the back. "Come on, let's get out of this circus."

"Yeah, good idea," Naru replied.

Before they got moving, she tapped Umino on the shoulder to get his attention. He turned to her.

"And thanks, Umino," Naru said earnestly.

"Ah, it was nothing. I just come prepared now that monsters roam the streets," Umino said.

He turned to the animal control team while they cautiously guided the subdued and groggy feline out of the store.

"I just never imagined that I'd be using my pepper spray on something straight out of the animal kingdom," he said.

Naru looked back at Chad.

"Hey, I know you!" she said, recognizing him. "You're that guy who works for Rei and her grandfather!"

"The one and the same," Chad smiled.

He looked closely at her for a second.

"You've come around the shrine a few times, I believe," he said. "One of Usagi's friends, right?"

"Naru Osako," Naru answered.

"You two don't seem to be too shaken up by this," Umino stated with displeasure.

"Oh really?" Naru asked.

"That's because I'm probably growing inured to this kind of thing," Naru thought glumly.

* * *

"Alright, take it slow and easy, guys!" the animal control team leader said.

He looked over his shoulder to the truck parked just outside. He kept the growling animal in the corner of his eye at all times.

"Open the back!" he ordered.

Two others team members unlocked the back doors of the cage-like interior of the back of the truck. The tiger snarled and tried to jerk away, but the men holding it by the pole-leashes stayed their ground and acting as one, forcing the animal towards the truck.

"Hurry up with this one," the team leader said. "We still have a whole bunch to get rounded up and taken back!"

Naru, Umino, and Chad stepped out onto the sidewalk and began walking away from the scene. Grocery shopping would have to wait. Naru sighed in relief.

"Well, that could have gone a lot worse," she thought.

"Alright, you two both get home as soon as you can. I don't know exactly what's going on here, but you don't need to be walking around the streets right now, as long as those animals are still on the loose," Chad said to them.

"Yeah…good idea. Let's just get out of here," Umino nodded.

Naru was about to add something, but a sound caught her attention. It sounded like the squawks of many, many birds overhead. She turned her eyes skywards and saw so many birds circling overhead that it seemed impossible. She'd never seen so many.

"Uh, guys, I think we should get off the streets and back inside, like, now," she said.

"Huh?" Umino muttered.

He looked up, too, and it almost turned out to be a fatal mistake for him. A hawk dive bombed him and came right at his face. Umino screamed and raised his hands over his head to protect himself. Naru acted quickly and pulled him away. The hawk lashed out at them with its talons and cut both the teens' arms. Chad grabbed a flower pot laid out front in a display of the grocery store and chucked it at the bird. It made the hawk back off momentarily, and just long enough for Naru and Umino to retreat back inside.

Screams and cries erupted from everywhere. Chad looked around. The birds had attacked. Everyone, including the animal control workers, were being assaulted by the birds. Birds, birds of all kinds were laying into people with their beaks and talons. The men that had keeping the tiger at bay were desperately trying to keep hold of the poles while feebly attempting to fend off the birds. Finally, one man lost grip of his pole and tiger broke with one mighty pull, yanked free of the men holding it down. It pounced at someone and began tearing them to pieces.

Loud screeches from other avian caught Chad's attention and he looked up. More were coming for him. He looked behind him at the gardening display set up in front of the store and grabbed a rake. Just as they reached him, he swung it across, blocking their assault. He smacked one bird out of the air and smacked against the building and came to rest on the ground, dead. The others managed to stop and break off their attack before Chad could hit them.

Chad backed into the building while taking one more look around. It wasn't just on this street block that the attacks from above were happening. He could see the small shapes of birds making their attacks into the streets in surrounding places. He heard the automatic door open behind him and backed in. It closed just in time to stop another round of assaults. Chad winced as the small feathered fiends bounced off the windows.

* * *

Nephrite stared into a crystal ball. Various images of Tokyo appeared and he flipped through them one by one like a watcher might change the channel on their TV.

"Where is she? Where is she?" he murmured.

Finally, he found what he was looking for.

"Bingo!" he said.

With that, he teleported out of his office.

* * *

"You're sure?" Luna asked Mercury over the phone.

"Yes. That satyr said he'll attack 'where laws begins'! I don't think we have much time. We'll meet you there. Please hurry," Mercury answered.

She turned to the others. Moon, Mars, Sailor V, and Artemis gave her their full attention.

"We know what the cause of the stir across town is. It's a Wind Satyr, and it's heading for The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building," Luna explained. "Alright, Moon, Mars, we'll all be going together across the rooftops. Artemis and I will be in our cat forms. Let's get this underway!"

She turned to Sailor V.

"I want you to meet up with Haruka and flag down some transportation. Do whatever you have to, even if you have to put up with an obsessed fan!" Luna ordered.

"What about her hands?" Sailor V asked.

"She'll have found a healer by the time you've teamed up," Luna answered.

In a flash, Luna and Artemis turned into their feline forms, a black cat and a white one. Luna leapt up and perched on Moon's shoulder while Artemis perched on Mars's.

"Yes, ma'am!" the three girls answered, and took off running.

"Don't hesitate this time, Moon!" Luna whispered into Moon's ear.

"Lay off!" Moon shot back.

Nearby, they were watched yet again, but not just by the news chopper. No, Zoicite stared after them.

"Oh, this won't do. I can't let them sort this all out too easily… Now, how shall I do this…?" Zoicite tapped a finger against his cheek while thinking. Then a sly little smirk crossed his face. "Oh, I think I know exactly how I'll keep them here."

He took out a small bag from one of his pockets. He opened it. Inside, it was filled with what looked like several small, brown cocoons. He'd originally meant to unleash their harvest upon the park, but at the last moment decided instead to infect one of the workers tearing it down with the wind satyr. Even he hadn't foreseen the satyr turning the once peaceful animals inhabiting it against mankind. By now, that he'd seen how far things were going and how much energy was being spent by everyone from the common law enforcer to the Keepers and the Celestial Warriors. The satyr had also unleashed animals from all over the globe upon the denizens of Tokyo and they were running wild and frenzied. Now Zoicite wanted to see just how far he could push them in one day, and if they could handle it. And what a better way to do that than to keep them divided and fighting their own little battles?

He knew exactly when to spring this next bit with the little cocoons in the bag. If his calculations were correct, the two Warriors, the cats, and that sailor fuku wearing nuisance would be passing through a small patch of green about a block big on the way. Even if they bypassed it a little bit, they wouldn't be far, and they wouldn't ignore it for long. It was near a bunch of apartments, and it was built as a gathering place for children. It couldn't really be called a park, especially not compared to that other one, but it did have green, dirt, and trees. It also had a few manmade structures like a set of swings, monkey bars, a small basketball court, a teeter-totter, and a merry-go-round, but it was the natural features Zoicite was interested in. It was just right for what he had in mind. Zoicite disappeared from where he levitated in the air to go prepare his little trick.

Moon and Mars ran to the sidewalk just in front of a nearby building.

"Hold on tight," Moon instructed Luna.

The cat hummed her response and grabbed hold of the Warrior over the shoulders. Moon and Mars propelled themselves upwards, coming to a stop partway up the building. They landed on a ledge and with a second hop, cleared the roof. They were over and running across at once.

Sailor V looked up where they had disappeared to.

"I _have_ got to learn how to do that," she said.

* * *

"You won't freeze again?" Mars asked Moon.

"Stop it, already! There are people's lives at stake right now! I don't have time to argue with any of you!" Moon shouted angrily.

"You better live up to those words," Mars said firmly.

Moon rolled her eyes and she kept running, speeding up a little, in fact. She got ahead of Mars and a little away from her, which is what she wanted at the moment.

"Don't be too hard on her," Artemis said to Mars.

"Don't tell me how to conduct myself. She screwed up and she knows it," Mars replied coldly.

"Yeah, but you know that girl's got a big heart. She just has to learn when to set it aside at times like this, and getting on her case right when we have other things to worry about isn't going to help matters," Artemis said.

"I get it. Besides, she won't have to stow her heart. Next time something like this happens, I'm making the kill. I won't wait for her to toughen up," Mars answered.

"Besides, I don't want Usagi's big, caring heart to go cold from killing people-turned-monsters," Mars added, but only to herself.

* * *

"Higher! Higher Higher!" a little girl cheered

"Oof! I'm pushing you as high as you're going to go," her father replied, giving her another shove.

This propelled the girl on the swing up almost vertically and then she came down quickly, squealing in delight as she did. Around, other children also played in various corners of the little playground. A little ways away, a married couple pushed a merry-go-round loaded with children in a circle. Amidst the general noise the chattering children made, no took of something very out of the ordinary going on with the trees nearby. A baseball rolled over until it was amongst the trees. A little boy ran over to pick it up.

As he bent over, he heard a sudden snapping sound like wood being moved or broken. He looked up into the branches of the nearby trees, pausing only to try to see what had made that noise. All movement ceased from the boy when he saw it. The trees were moving, and not from the wind! No, there was no wind gusting through their little playground that day. The air had been still, and besides, even if there had been blowing air, this wasn't the kind of arching and leaning trees did under its force. The trees were moving about randomly, seemingly with some kind of purpose. What purpose he couldn't even begin to tell, but it was there.

"Hey, what's the holdup?! Get your head in the game! Come on!" someone yelled from the open space behind the lad.

The boy became aware of his normal company again, but he did not take his eyes off the trees. Slowly, he backed away. Behind him, an adult approached, looking from the child into the trees.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" his father asked him.

"Something's wrong with the trees, dad," the boy answered.

"What do you mean?" his father asked.

Then, as if to answer that question, there was a loud cracking and crunching sound coming from several of the long standing pillars of nature at once. The man looked up from his boy to the plants as bulges formed in the bark and several large clumps of the stuff dropped to the ground in front of the man and child. Branches either broke off as the trees' structures were compromises or they came loose upon impact with the ground. Before he even had time to think, the man grabbed his son and began to put distance between himself and the trees that were literally falling to pieces!

The children were scattering. Adults frantically rounded up their offspring and ran for their homes! With news of strange happenings going on and with of these people having actually seen some of them, they were leaving nothing to chance and quickly evacuated the playground. This was no time for gawking and their new it! Their decision proved most wise considering what happened next. The clumps of bark split open and took roughly the form of man. Dirt, grass, and root absorbed up from the ground into their forms and made up the joints while the tough bark made up their bodies, arms, legs, and heads. Some kind of woody tendrils wrapped around the entirety of their forms, holding the whole thing together.

The people, adult and child, one and all, screamed at the sight of them. One of the things stepped forward, holding an arm, and its lips parted to speak, but the sound it made wasn't a human one. No, it was a voice much like a sniffle an ailing person or an animal while sniffing out food might make, except instead of coming out in shorts breaths, it was words!

"Wait! Come with us! Come with us…to the underground!" its voice reached from wood and dirt.

The people broke into a run. Behind them, the strange creature broke into a fast run after them.

* * *

Luna's ears perked back.

"Wait! Hold on, girls!" she ordered.

"Huh?" Moon and Mars answered.

The two Warriors slid to the stop. Artemis put his ear to the air.

"Yeah, I hear it, too!"

"What? Hear what?!" Mars demanded.

"Children, and a lot of them…" Luna replied.

"They're screaming!" Artemis declared.

"Which way?!" Moon demanded.

"That way!" Luna and Artemis pointed with their paws.

They pointed left, towards an apartment district.

"Good kitties," Moon said.

Moon and Mars changed their course and headed where their guides indicated.

* * *

A small boy and his family climbed to the top of the monkey metal monkeys as the creatures crowded below them. "Get to the top! Their fingers will be too clumsy for them to come up after us!" his father had said, and right he'd been so far. The clunky makeup of the beasts had disallowed them from scaling the metal rungs of the recreational structure, but now a boy and a girl, both under ten, and their parents were left with nowhere to go.

In the distance, the shrinking forms of families got smaller while some other, less fortune, or just not as fast running peoples were dragging kicking and screaming for all their worth back to the green and soil of the playground.

Several of the mud and dirt beasts had gathered in a circle in the middle of the green patch and punched the ground, digging their long arms into it. There was a rumbling under the soil, as if something was thrashing about and pushing it all aside for some reason. Then the ground in the circle of treemen gave out and collapsed into a big hole.

"Come! Come with us to the underground!" the treemen dragging man, woman, and child continued to chant.

"AAAH!" the family atop the jungle gym screamed.

The treemen were shaking the metal tower from the base, and were going to keep at it until it either fell over or the family came tumbling down. The metal creaked and moaned as it swayed violently from side to side! The boy fell over and hung on by arm, and his grip loosening, and then, as all hope failed…

"MOON BLADE BOOMERANG!"

Something round and shining flew through the air struck the treemen at the base of the monkey bars. It circled all the way around slicing the oak brutes in half before flying off again! The family was at a loss of what of think, and when someone slammed onto the top of the rungs of their little haven giving it a terrible shake, they jumped and screamed.

"Wha-who?" the father managed to sputter out at the pair of girls wearing old-fashioned armor.

"Celestial Warriors Moon and Mars, at your service! Now run for your lives!" a girl wearing silver armor and carrying a double-bladed sword replied. She had a pair of cats on her shoulders.

She leapt off the jungle gym and into the fray, right at the treemen dragging people towards the big hole they'd made, in particular. The girl in red armor stayed on top of the construct of metal bars and notched an arrow made of fire into her bow. The two cats jumped off Moon's shoulders and turned into people! One was a black haired woman carrying a spear, and the other was a white haired man with a gun. To say the family that had huddled at the top of the monkey bars were a little surprised and confused would be putting it mildly.

Artemis landed roughly on the ground, collapsed on his side painfully. Luna stopped and turned towards him to check to see if he was okay.

"Never mind me! Help them!" Artemis shouted to Luna.

She nodded and followed Moon in charging at the treemen. Artemis unclipped his gun from its holster and not a moment too soon. One of the treemen was bearing down on him, but Artemis was quick on the draw. He fired the first round of magically charged bullets, and it hit its mark. The creature exploded into a thousand pieces.

"Wood trolls!" Luna identified them. "Nasty lot, but not particularly strong one-on-one! That's why they fight in groups!"

"Got it!" Moon answered and propelled herself, tearing into the unorganized ranks of the beasts.

**A/N: **Like I said, folks: the long haul.


	26. Chapter 24: Darkening Skies

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.: **You can tell? ;) Yeah, this is the longest action-based set of chapters I've done so far.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Always!

**Ash Devil Sadist: **As always, thank you for posting well thought out reviews. They really help me a lot. You've made me think to cover certain things I'd have otherwise not even thought to consider at all.

**Chapter 24**

**Darkening Skies**

"Seriously?" Takeshi grumbled at the men in black.

He turned to the old man who had arrived leading them.

"Don't you dare tell me that you've stopped my press conference in the middle just to warn me of some mumbo-jumbo threat!" Takeshi Hino snarled.

"It's no mumbo-jumbo, I can assure you," Myddin replied. "You have been taken back behind the safety of these doors for good reason. The person who began to the park and zoo animals' rampage was very clear that he was coming here. The Japanese government is very like his target. The other councilors have been told to go home and some have already started. I would recommend you do the same."

"All the more reason I should be out there finishing my speech!" Takeshi argued. "I'm not going to cower in the corner when threatened! I will not just scurry off into some corner. That's weakness, and I'm a politician. I can't afford to display such a quality! I have just as many enemies who'll kill me by taking support away from my campaigns if they think I'll back down as I have ones who want to take my life."

"Then don't, but you also have the safety of your voters to think about," Myddin countered, hoping that'd get through.

Takeshi blustered for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

"Alright, I will formally address the issue. Now I'm going to go back out there and put my face back in the TV now, even if it is just to give a public evac order!"

"If you insist…" Myddin answered with mock frustration.

No one tried to stop him as Takeshi turned and pushed the double doors of the government building open and stomped back to the podium. Myddin watched as the obstinate man took a risk to handle the situation the way he wanted by stepping right out into the open making a target out of himself. Myddin pressed the earpiece hidden within his ear.

"Councilor Hino is going to order the evacuation, himself, before allowing himself to be taken away to safety. You'll just have to do the best you can when you arrive," he whispered.

"Sheesh. Alright, we're on it. Wren, out."

Hino straightened his suit and cleared his throat. The onlookers from the crowd stared up at him with a mix of impatient and confusion over the interruption.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you will have to forgive me for the sudden interruption, but it seems that a threat has been made against the parliament," he announced.

The audience gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves.

"What kind of threat?" a reporter asked, holding up his microphone.

"We don't know yet, but it has been confirmed that the individuals responsible are also behind the stampeding animals that has been set loose in our fair city," Takeshi answered. "The police are taking every precaution that they can, but the fact is these people having that they're coming here to the government building. We don't know what they want, but it has to be with less than honorable intentions. It's likely the parties involved could be anything from the monsters plaguing our nights to a common group of arsonists. As such, I am going to have to ask everyone to evacuate the area the immediately."

Suddenly, the wind picked up. Hats were blown off heads and women struggled to keep their skirts from flapping up in the breeze.

"_Heh heh heh. Too late for that, Councilor Hino," _came a voice that seemed to have no point of origin.

The crowd either jumped from being startled or looked around for the source of the voice.

"Wha-?" Takeshi started to ask, but Myddin ran up behind him and dragged him to the ground.

"Get down!" Myddin ordered everything.

"What?" Takeshi yelped, but the reason why made itself clear within seconds.

Just beyond their line sight somewhere in the city, a sound exploded through the air. It was almost identical to that of an oncoming train. People screaming and objects being thrown around could also be heard from that direction.

"Oh, shit, I'm getting' out of here!" somebody shouted.

The gathering exploded into a mad panic and began running in all directions, going so far as climb over cars or run themselves over to get away. The source of their fright then came into view. A small twister about a story tall came thundering around the corner of a building towards them. It had already sucked up several pieces of debris came, but wasn't throwing any of it out. The objects it bore were being kept with conscious purpose.

"Oh, Kami…" Takeshi muttered.

Myddin, in response to the new threat, raised his hand, holding up his middle and index fingers. He began chanting a spell. His fingers began to glow with power. Debris flew at the crowd, expelling from the swirling winds with conscious effort. But instead of flattening the panicking mob, the objects collided with an invisible force. They bounced off it and landed beyond the main crowd causing a lot less damage. Takeshi looked up at this strange old frail-looking man with amazement.

"What are you?" he asked.

"The only person standing between you and death. Now, go, Hino. I will handle this until help arrives," Myddin replied.

Myddin released Takeshi and gripped his out-stretched arm's wrist with his other hand. The light pouring forth from his fingers increased now that Myddin wasn't multitasking. The twister surged forward ramming into Myddin's force field with all its might. The previously invisible field shimmered and seemingly began buckling under the might of its blow. Sweat began pouring down Myddin's brow and he fell onto his knees as his strength failed him. The twister backed and then rammed it again!

This time, it broke through and was on the verge of closing in to suck up any pedestrians too close to it. The light at Myddin's fingers was roused and he slumped down onto his hands as well. In his old age, he was no match for a satyr's magic. Now, he could look on at the coming wall of wind as it closed in to kill him and all these innocents. He closed his eyes in silent resignation of his fate.

Then from behind little funnel of dirt and air formed something else. Just ever so slightly, Myddin heard the faint sound of a harp playing a sweet melody. The sound of water splashing erupted. Myddin opened his eyes and saw what could only be described as a waterspout roaring up behind the first twister. The two collided and the opposite forces of the waterspout cancelled out the first cyclone. Water was thrown all around like rain as the two funnels collapsed.

Myddin shielded his face with his hands as the cold water sprayed him. The cries of surprise and fright broke out from the crowd as they became drenched. The satyr growled at the interruption. His physical form came into view, floating overhead of the fleeing citizens. He was facing away from the government building, staring down the street at four approaching.

Mercury's shoulders sagged and she sighed as they pressed on. Jupiter put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Jupiter asked.

"Yeah, it's just…" Mercury paused to take a deep breath. "That took a lot out of me."

"Alright, then, you recover," Wren whispered. "Mask, Jupiter, we're covering her. Let's go."

The redhead ran ahead, leading the charge at the hovering goat man. By now, the streets had largely cleared out of people altogether. The police had taken all of the officials either far away or they were holed up in the basement of the building, and the civilians' were shrinking forms in the distance by now with the exception of a few stragglers. The street was a wide open arena for the two sides right now, and they intended to make full use of it. The satyr grinned at the three incoming assailants.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"Guess again, ugly!" Mask shouted and cut at the air.

A single arched shaped energy blast shot out from his sword. Wren concentrated on casting his own spell while Jupiter had both hands drawn back in fists that were working up static. The satyr instinctively tried to break his body apart, but then found his magicks disrupted. He gasped in shock, but recovered just in time to fly back out of the way of Mask's energy wave.

Mercury started played her harp again. She started playing a slow, solemn tune in preparation of her next attack and gradually sped up. Above, the satyr started playing his pipe again, but Jupiter was quick to intervene.

"I don't think so!" she shouted, leaping up towards him.

She began spinning as she flew up towards her enemy. Mask was quick to dash underneath her the instant she launched herself upwards. First she punched out electrical power before spinning around and unleashing a wave of raw energy. The satyr swooped down below both bursts of energy towards the ground. Mask slid to a stop just under the goat man. With a grunt, he forced his aura outwards and upwards. A copy of himself flew out from within him and at their enemy. The satyr dodged to the side to avoid getting cut by the copy's sword, but Mask was persistent. He closed his eyes to concentrate. His copy turned into a ball of glowing energy and charged its course to chase after the satyr.

Jupiter landed on the ground next to Mask and watched what he did next before acting. When the copy was close enough to the satyr again, it reformed into the shape of its progenitor and sliced from above at it again. The satyr backed up towards the nearest tree. Jupiter smirked, knowing what to do next. Sweat began to form into little droplets that rolled down Wren's face. He continued to repeat the Interference spell under his breath, but his reserves were beginning to become used up. Before too much longer, he'd have to release the wind satyr from his grip and it'd be free to turn into air and force them into a one-sided fight. The team was going to have to end this soon, and above all else, keep that creature from casting anymore powerful attacks.

Jupiter reached out and directed an open palm towards the tree the satyr had floated within branch's reach of. Mask's copy dissipated and the little cryptid smirked. He reached for his flute again, but before he could get a single note out, he heard the sound of the branches moving behind him. He tried to fly forwards, but the tree's long finger-like branches had him. He protected, squirming and kicking, trying to break free from their grip, but it was no good.

"AH! No, blast it! Let me go!" the satyr demanded.

Jupiter looked over to Mercury.

"Alright, hit him with everything that you've got!" she shouted.

Mercury faced forward with a determined glint. She pricked the chords clean across. Water gathered in a circle directly below the struggling satyr. The satyr's eyes wildly looked around for a way out, but he saw none. Then he put the flute to his lips once more and in a last ditch effort to save his skin, he blow tonelessly into it. A wall of air blasted the entire area. Everyone was blown off their feet and rolled over the ground. Any cars or other vehicles unlucky enough to be angled wrong were turned over onto their sides or roofs. The water Mercury had prepared harmlessly ran out over the street and into the drains.

"Ow! Damn it, you rotten little goat! That hurt!" Jupiter bellowed at him.

She glared up at the satyr, who smiled back before turning to leaves again, and freed himself from the tree's branches.

"Wren?" Mask said, getting up.

He turned to the red-headed Keeper in question, who was lying on his back, drenched in sweat. His concentration had been broken and he no longer muttered the chant to keep the going.

"Is he alright?" Jupiter called.

Mercury crawled over to him to get a closer look. His breathing was in sharp, shallow cycles and he was exhausted from holding back that much power, but otherwise he was alright.

"He's okay, but we won't be in a few minutes," Mercury said, pointing at the satyr.

With grim realization, Mask, Jupiter, and Mercury turned to look up at the satyr again. He hovered in the air above them with a triumphant smile. The three of them got up and took their position. Mask and Jupiter were side-by-side in front of Mercury. They had to end this here and now.

Myddin watched them from where he crouched by the steps of the building. He had been saving up his energy to cast again. Right now, he was working up the strength to try his hand at the Interference spell Wren had been casting before. He just needed to wait a bit and let them wear the wind satyr down a bit. If they could do that, he'd be more vulnerable than before when Wren tried it. Patience and timing were key now. He lowered himself down more, staying out of the sight and letting the stone railing hide him.

The satyr broke apart again and sailed upwards on the wind. The music from his flute began playing as wind was worked through it. Jupiter did her best to try to aim some kind of blow up upwards, but there was only air and sound.

"Tch!" she scowled.

Jupiter turned to Mercury, who was busy frantically typing away on her laptop.

"Any ideas? I can't hit what's not there," Jupiter said.

"I'm working on it!' Mercury replied.

Mercury had just sat on her knees with her computer in her lap.

"Well, you better hurry, because I can see a storm brewing," Wren piped in, sitting up.

Just overhead of the government building and the other skyscrapers, the clouds were already beginning to churn in a funnel.

"Mercury…" Jupiter said, nervously.

Mercury looked up at the forming tornado. She turned back to her laptop.

"Come on, come on, come on, there's got to something we can do about this, but what? What you can about something that's essential _air_?! It's one of the most powerful and devastating elements on Earth! And where is he?!" her mind reeled.

A visual of the forming tornado appeared on her monitor. Little red dots flashed, indicating that the satyr was spread all through the storm, directly controlling it. Mercury then pulled up a program where she'd been compiling everything she'd learned about the satyr by scanning it. The wind was already beginning to pick up. Mercury squeaked in surprise as Jupiter pulled her up to her feet.

"No time! We have to get out here!" Jupiter said firmly.

"No! Wait! I've got it! The leaves he turns into are moist! He needs them to be moist. It's how he's able to maintain his intangible form. If they dried out, he'd be forced to return to his true shape. So the wetter, the better," Mercury shouted.

"So dry out the clouds from that storm!" Mask spoke anxiously.

"No! Wetter's better for us, too, right now!" Mercury replied, smiling.

Everyone looked at her strangely.

"How can that possibly be good for us?!" Wren shouted in a confused voice.

"Because water's conductive," Mercury stated matter-of-factly.

She looked at Jupiter.

"When he strikes, hit that cloud with everything you've got, but it was be a strong, static charge, not just straightforward lightning. The shock will hurt him and break his concentration. Then I'll suck all the moister out once you've shocked him," Mercury said.

"Gotcha! Lock and load!" Jupiter said, slamming her sparking knuckles together.

Everyone turned to the funnel cloud. It was about to strike.

"We're going to need protection," Mercury said.

"Allow me, Milady," Wren said confidently.

The ripples of a magical protective became visible.

"It lets things out, not in," Wren stated.

Mask held out his sword flat and ran one hand over the flat of the blade starting at the base going all the way to the tip. As he did, its glow became like a beacon. If Jupiter and Mercury were working on weakening that little goat, someone had to get a killing shot prepared. Nearby, Myddin understood the gist of their strategy though had not been within earshot to hear it.

"I will have to act quickly if I am to help," he thought, and closed his eyes.

He began channeling some magic he'd worked back up.

"I get the feeling we have _one_ shot here," Mask said to the others. "We better make this count, because I doubt we'll survive a second blow (and maybe not even the first), let alone even have enough strength left to resist it."

A fleeting lull passed between the two sides. The eye of the storm, you could call it. The wind blew all around the four persons standing in the middle of the street. Their battle plan was prepared, and so was their enemy's. Then, like a whip had been cracked, the bottom end of the small tornado exploded down, aimed right at them. All the way, it collected glass, metal, plants, and others bits and pieces to hit them with. Wren's face twisted as he redoubled his efforts to protect them, and he let out a low, guttural sound as he strained. The barrier thickened in preparation to the strike.

Jupiter stood as tall as she could, building up a static charge between her gauntlets and greaves. Mercury played a slow tune, syncing herself with the waters swirling within the satyr's construction of nature. Time seemed to slow down as the wall of air and solid mass bore down on the magical barrier. The barrier shimmered and rippled under the strain, and nearly gave out.

Jupiter focused on the twister, knowing they had a matter of mere seconds before it struck and obliterated the barrier. She channeled a powerful shock into it. Because this was static electricity, there was no usual bolt of ball of lightning. The funnel simply lit up with sparks. It jerked and sailed off course away from them. From within, they could hear the cry of the satyr. Then Mercury strummed all the cords clear across several times! The moister was ejected out of the top of the twister and was sent back up into the sky. As the satyr screamed again, the twister suddenly shrunk and then exploded. A wall of air and debris burst out in all directions. Everyone shielded themselves as objects sailed them. A chunk of building slammed right into Wren's shield. Though they were protected from the first collision, Wren's magic gave out from the strain. They all watched in terror as the transparent protection faded out and they were exposed to all the rest of the falling objects.

"Oh, shit!" Jupiter shouted.

She punched straight upwards, shooting off lightning in all directions. The force of her element blasted everything all around them, and either shattered them into harmless little pieces or knocked them off course. Pieces of building, glass, and everything else imaginable slammed into the pavement all around them. Jupiter's attack relented, and she fell facedown out of exhaustion. She weakly looked up at Mask.

"Finish this," she said.

The satyr hovered in the air limply, gasping for breath and clutching his chest as if it pained him. His flight was shaky. He cried out as his power nearly gave out and he fell a short distance before he caught himself. He heard rushing footsteps pounding the street towards him from below. He looked down and saw Mask rushing him. He'd already launched his sword through the air at him. The satyr's eyes widened as the sword flew with purpose, honed in on him. He blew into his flute to use what little energy he had left to break apart again, but then found he couldn't. Something else was stopping, and by now, it was too late to take care of the obstruction. All he could do now was watch the sword come for him with deadly intent.

"NNNNN~" the satyr cried out as it skewered him.

The energy from the sword burst out upon impact and exploded. There was a flash of blindingly bright light and then it faded out. The sword, sans satyr, was briefly suspended in the air before it dropped back down to the concrete below.

"Hey, what happened to the…?" Wren started to ask.

Then something landed on his shoulder with a 'splat'. He looked over and saw something red and fleshy resting on his shoulder. He let out a shriek and batted it off him. Everyone's head whipped around and they watched him beat the chunk of flesh off his person fiercely.

"Wow. That has got to be the girliest scream I have _ever_ heard," Jupiter laughed.

"Oh, ick! You exploded him!" Wren whined.

Myddin stood up on what remained of the stone steps of the government building, overlooking the scene. He was both impressed and surprised. The light at his fingertips faded. His small part in this battle was done. He looked over at the four celebrating warriors and smiled.

"Good work, everyone," he said softly.

Jupiter turned to the others.

"I hate to do this to you guys, but I have someone I need to check on," she explained. "I parted ways with him back at the park, and I have no idea where he is right now."

"Understood. I hope you find him," Mask answered.

"Dismissed, but come by HQ tomorrow to give your report of this incident," Wren said.

"Okay! Buh-bye now!" Jupiter said, waving to everyone and running.

"What about me?" Mercury asked.

"Well, we're going to meet back up with Rusila and Kratos and see how they're doing with clean-up," Wren answered.

"And you…" he said, turning to Mask, but the person in question disappeared.

"Huh. I guess he'll do whatever he wants," Wren shrugged.

* * *

"Mm? Mm. Uh-huh. Yeah, understood. Okay, thanks," Luna spoke to the other person on the line before hanging up.

She turned Moon, Mars, and Artemis.

"Well, all the various situations happening around Tokyo have finally been taken care of. Jupiter, Mercury, Mask, and Wren defeated the wind satyr, so the animals have mostly stopped rampaging out of induced fury. Now they're just rampaging out of terror. As we speak, there are still accidents and attacks happening around town, but much less frequently. In any case, they said they'd keep me posted if anymore monsters show up."

"Good, because I'm exhausted," Mars said laboriously.

She leaned forward on her bow for support. Next to her, Moon did the same, only leaning on the hilt of her sword with one of the blade stuck into the ground. Artemis tried to lie down comfortably, but was unsuccessful. After all, they were all seated on a huge tile of the remains of the wood trolls. Left to right, it was Moon, Mars, Luna, and Artemis. Underneath, uneven chunks of wood and dirt were haphazardly laid to rest. Moon's eyes wandered around their location. The little park was thoroughly demolished. The playground equipment was smashed or at least broken and there was a huge hole in the middle of it, which had thankfully been quartered off with police tape by now. To say nothing of the trees that'd become the wood trolls, which laid in pieces everywhere.

At the moment, the four of them were the only people actually still in the park. The police had blocked off the little square of green all around with tape and their vehicles. People gathered all around, trying to a get glimpse of the aftermath, and of their mysterious saviors. Not far off, news vans had already long arrived just in time to record the fall of the last of the wood trolls and were trying to get past the police to get in to interview the Warriors. Moon stared into a camera as it stared right back.

"Looks like I'm on Candid Camera," she thought.

Some of the officers present looked on the four curiously, themselves, but did not approach at the moment, as they had a job to do. Moon recognized some of the faces in the crowd as the people they'd saved. Some shouted their thanks to them while others just nodded to them.

Moon swallowed her saliva hard. She slowly turned to glance at Luna who was palming her face.

"Luna?" she said with an uncertain voice.

"Yeah?" Luna replied, taking her hands from her face.

"Just…how bad did I mess up?"

"Very," Luna sighed. "We can talk about this later."

"But, what happens now that Entomon is free again?" Moon asked with a quiet, scared voice.

Luna looked at her. Looking into Moon's eyes, she knew the girl needed an answer. Luna sighed, deciding to give it to her. She began speaking with the reluctant tone of one remembering a dark, horrible time, and being forced to remember it.

"He'll do as the Children of the Entity have always done. He and all his brethren are the most evil and corrupt beings ever born on Earth. Their crimes are without number, their wickedness without limit. Their names were abominated in every corner of the Earth. They set themselves up as gods to be worshipped by people too weak to stop them, and they made them pay hefty tributes. All still free peoples hoped, prayed, that they weren't next."

"Why did the Seven Great Youma do that for?" Moon asked.

"What for? In all honestly, they never _needed _them to wait on them, hand and foot, no… They just enjoyed the power, and they did it _laughing_ all the way. I guess you could call them some of the oldest bullies in history," Luna answered

"You were there?" Moon asked.

"Eh?" Mars and Luna looked at her because of the bizarre question. Artemis glanced over at her, only managing a raised brow.

"You speak like you were there…" Moon exclaimed uncomfortably.

Artemis resettled.

"Kid's more perceptive than we gave her credit for," he thought.

Luna shrugged. No sense in putting it off anymore now.

"I was. I'm one thousand and twelve years old," Luna replied, sighing. "I was just a child when the Silver Millennium ended."

Mars's jaw dropped.

"I…wha…?" was all the raven could stammer.

"I knew it!" Moon cried, punching the air.

Mars looked at her, perplexed.

"You _knew_. How could you, or anyone, know?!" Mars demanded.

Her mind was spinning for answers.

"It was just the way they worded it. All that '_The Founding Members_', and being careful not to name names. And this isn't the first time you guys have talked just like you were actually there to see things from a long time ago happen," Moon answered softly. "I wasn't sure, though."

"Well, now that the cats are out of the bag, literally," Artemis said, sitting up. "We, the High Keepers, and Orion were all there to see the end of the Moon Kingdom."

"But how is that possible, and why did you keep it from us?" Mars asked.

"We're Lunarians. We live for millennia," Luna answered. "We didn't tell any of you originally because we wanted to break all the strangeness to you as slowly as we could and then…there was just never a good time to tell you afterwards. Hell, _now _isn't a good time to tell you."

Artemis's phone range.

"Yeah-llo," he said.

"So what kinds of destruction are we looking at when Entomon heals?" Moon asked.

"Oh, it won't be apparent at first. He'll find some secluded little burg and established himself as their center of authority, probably by removing those already in authority as a show of his strength. Eventually, we'll get news of the locals of some secluded region acting strangely and gathering food and other necessities for some kind of ceremony, but it will take time before we can track him down again. With him mining locales for supplies, the Dark Kingdom will have itself another source of energy and sustenance," Luna replied.

"And then, when we find him, we can reseal Entomon and save the human we was reborn as?" Moon asked hopefully.

Luna trained her with a solemn stare.

"What?" Moon asked, anxiously.

Luna looked away, up at the sky. Mars had a feeling she knew what Luna was going to say next. She remained quiet, and just let Luna talk.

"It's too late. We were too slow in getting to him for that to be possible now. Whoever Entomon had been reborn as is dead now," she explained.

It felt like someone had just punched Moon in the gut. She stared at Luna, disbelieving for a few seconds before facing forward as it sunk in. She hung her head as she pulled her legs in close to her body and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her face on her knees. Sorrow took control.

Mars nodded her head. Yeah, that was what she thought Luna was going to say. She looked over at Moon. She almost made a snide comment about the situation to her, but she again held her tongue.

"Maybe now you'll grow up," Luna scolded Moon.

Mars looked at Luna in surprise, but didn't say anything. She was still partially lost in her own thoughts.

"This has hit Usagi really hard. Just let it go for right now, Rei. I'll talk to her about to later when we're both in better moods," Mars told herself.

She was also going to have a chat with Luna about this. The way Luna had worded it, it sounded like there might be a slight chance that the next victim could be saved, but it was going to be a private. No sense in getting Usagi's hopes up if this hunch turned out to be nothing.

Artemis hung up.

"Well that was Sailor V on the line. She's found Haruka, who's getting her hands treated as we speak. I think it's time to leave. We've lingered long enough as it is," he said.

"Whoa! What was that?!" someone in the crowd cried.

Two of the persons sitting on the pile of dead wood trolls suddenly disappeared in a flash, leaving the two girls in armor. The two girls hopped down off the pile and began running out of the park. Oddly, they suddenly each had a cat riding on their shoulder.

"There they go! After them!" a reporter cried.

Several members of the press gave chase, and just reached the Warriors as they jumped over the police barricade.

"Wait! Wait!" they shouted, closing in holding up mike and camera.

"Do you have anything to say about what's happened here?!"

Moon briefly stopped and faced the news media.

"Yeah, pray," she said.

"Care to expand on that?"

"No comment," Moon muttered of her shoulder before scaling the nearest building in one jump.

"Whoa! Did you see that! A tall building in a single bound! What are they?!" a reporter said into a camera.

Another reporter stared up at where the two armored women had gone for a few seconds before turning back to his cameraman.

"It appears the mysterious masked defenders don't have any more to say at the moment, but I believe we should take her suggestion to heart given the circumstances," he said.

* * *

Naru slowly poked her head through the front of the store. By now, all signs of the loose animals and the police had gone. She gingerly stepped out onto the street. She looked up. There were still a few birds passing overhead, but they weren't acting hostilely like before. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chad come up beside her, still armed with his rake.

"Looks like its over," Chad said.

"Yeah…" Umino said quietly, inching out of the door.

Chad turned to the teens.

"Alright, look, I have to get back to the shrine and check up and Sensei and Miss Rei. Make they're alright, you know? I'll see you two later…uh…"

Chad looked down at the rake in his hands, and held it out for Naru.

"Here, you might need this," he said.

"Eh, thanks," Naru said uncertainly, accepting the yawn upkeep tool.

Chad gave a quick wave bidding them and goodbye and took his leave. Naru turned to Umino and tossed him the rake.

"Ulp!" he cried, fumbling as he caught it.

"See you later, Umino. Be careful, and keep a sharp eye out. I have to go find Mother," she said.

Across the street, someone lurked in the shadows watching the scene play out. Now that Naru had parted ways with the boy and that unkempt man, their opportunity had come. The figure silently slipped out of its hiding spot and began to follow her, unnoticed.

Umino sighed as he put the rake back on the rack where Chad had gotten it. He glanced in Naru's direction as she rounded corner. He would have gone his own way, but just before he looked away, he saw someone dart across the street after her. Umino, with shaking hands, reached into his pockets for his pepper stray and then gave chase.

"Crap! I knew it couldn't be over just like that!" he thought with grim determination.

Naru walked hurriedly towards the nearest phone booth.

"Please be alright, please be alright, please be alright, mom…" she thought anxiously.

So distracted by her fear for her mother's safety was she that she failed to hear the heavy footsteps coming up behind her.

"Naru?" a deep, masculine voice said.

She stopped and turned to the source. Her face lit up immediately.

"Masoto!" she cried happily.

Nephrite smiled back at her, looking relieved to see her okay.

"Oh, thank God! I started looking all over for you after the animals went crazy," he said breathlessly.

"Oh, my… You weren't outside while it was going on, were you?!" Naru gasped.

"Oh course I was! I couldn't get in touch with you. I thought you might have killed in the confusion," he answered.

Naru giggled, deeply flattered at the thought of her brave knight wading through a rampage to come save her, but she quickly stopped herself. She looked him over closely.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

Nephrite shrugged up both arms. He turned himself around in a full circle on the spot.

"A little frazzled by all the commotion, but not very worst for ware," he said.

"Good!" she said, very relieving.

She clutched her chest as her heart slowed.

"Listen, I need to try to call my mom, and then I'd like to get home as soon as I can. Is your car nearby?" she asked.

"Sure! I'll take you straight home!" Nephrite said.

"Thank you! I'll be right back," Naru smiled, and ran towards the phone booth.

Umino watched them as he peaked around the corner. His harsh stare bore holes into Nephrite's back.

"Just happened to find her, eh? No way… There's no way he could have had any idea where she was. Something's not right here…" Umino thought.

She glanced, looking at the streets and the rooftops.

"Where's that armored woman who helped me that one time at Peisinoe's House of Fortune?" he thought.

With that, Umino slipped away, off on his business. He knew that this 'Masoto' wouldn't try anything just yet. Not immediately following everything else that just happened, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be long. Umino knew he had to find help, somehow.

Meanwhile, Nephrite stood watching Naru talk on the phone from her stood. His eyes casually wandered about absently while he waited. Then his gaze happened to land on the fire escape directly across from him and there it stopped. Staring down at him about four stories up was Orion. His red armor glistened under the sun. His bow and quiver were both strapped to his back. He didn't move. Not at all. Nephrite also stood still, knowing better than to make a move with the Hawk of the Mark having the drop on him.

Then, Orion put a foot on the rail and jumped for it. He turned to his hawk form and flew away. Nephrite narrowed his eyes. The message was clear: "I've got my eye on you."

* * *

"Mom, dad, I'm home," Usagi called with a throaty voice.

She lazily pushed open the front door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino," Luna called, coming in after Usagi.

She closed the door behind them both. They received no response.

"Mom! Dad!" Usagi called again, this time more loudly.

After she didn't get an answer the second time, Usagi ran from the living room to the kitchen, and then to the stairs.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried, really starting to worry now.

"Usagi?!" Luna called after her.

The girl didn't listen, instead opting to dash upstairs and throw open every door, only to find them all empty.

"Mom! Dad! Shingo!" Usagi cried, her voice cracking.

Luna reached the top of the stairs as well after a moment. She held a note in one hand.

"Usagi, calm down. Look," she said.

Usagi came out of her parents' bedroom and looked at the piece of paper in Luna's hand. She ran over and snatched it up, and read it contents.

"Usagi, if you beat us home, we went to see an old friend from our school who came to visit. Shingo is at his friend, Jumpei's. See you soon. –Mom."

After she'd done, she looked up, meeting Luna's eyes.

"Why are they still gone?" she muttered.

"Just relax," Luna said soothingly. "I'll get on the line with the police and my fellow Keepers. I'll find them. Just stay here in case they come back."

"But…" Usagi protested tearfully.

"No arguments," Luna said firmly. "Stay home. Just _do _as I say and it'll be alright."

Usagi shrank back from that last statement. There was a certain harshness that didn't need to be there.

"She's still mad that I let Entomon get away," she realized.

"And stop crying," Luna ordered, giving Usagi a disdainful eye. "Maybe if you didn't get so emotional about every little thing, we'd have won that battle instead of spending the whole day dancing to the Dark Kingdom's tune."

Luna turned away from her sharply, and trumped back down the stairs, leaving the shocked girl very alone in the residence.

* * *

Rei slumped as she reached the final and top step of the temple.

"Oh, man, I can see now why some people complain about all the stairs," she groaned.

She proceeded to shuffle over to the front door. Just before she could grip the doorknob, the door flung open. Hibiki Hino stood breathlessly at the door.

"Rei!" her grandfather said, sounding relieved.

"Hi, Grandpa. Were you worried about me?" she asked.

"Of course! I'd just finished my evening disciplines when Chad came running in shouting about zoo animals. Never seen the boy in a more excitable state," Hibiki said.

"So Chad's alright," Rei breathed.

"Forgot the groceries, though," Hibiki added.

* * *

A short while later Rei emerged from the path house dressed in her white bathrobe.

"Thanks for keeping the fire going, Chad?" she called around the side of the bath house.

Chad mumbled something in response, but she couldn't make it out. She headed back inside to her room. She glanced at her miko attire hung up on a rack in the corner. She considered attempting to scry something concerning a future energy drain victim, but her eyes were heavy. She held up a hand over her mouth as she let out a long, deep yawn.

"Uuuuugh… Tomorrow," she moaned.

With that, Rei flopped onto her bed without bothering to change into her pajamas . She pulled the covered over herself and turned over to go to sleep. As she shut her eyes, her mind still stewed with thoughts of the day's events, everything from Entomon to the wood trolls in the park, and the wind satyr. She tried to push them aside and buried herself deeper into her pillow.

* * *

Makoto stood at the entrance of Nakashima Park nervously. She kicked a pebble away and took a slow step forwards. After the battle with the satyr, she'd come right back and tried to find Mamoru. She called his apartment, but no one was home. She had no idea where to find him. She glanced over the sunset. By now, the light was very dim and the sky was mostly purple. She hung her head as she wandered over to a park bench and sat down. She leaned against the back.

"Might as well go back home, but it's not like I have to worry. Who's going to scold me for staying out too late, anyway?" she thought, sadly.

She leaned to stand back up.

"Is this seat taken?"

Her head snapped up. There was Mamoru. He grinned easily, hands in his jacket pockets.

"N-no. Have a seat," she answered, smiling with delight.

Mamoru slid onto the bench next to her. His arms lazily hung at his sides as he slumped to the edge.

"You're okay?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, yeah! That Phantom Mask guy interfered and I took off just in the nick of time. I spent the rest of the day trying to find you. Where did you go?" he asked.

"I…" Makoto stammered.

She licked her lip, trying to think of something.

"..I…went looking for you. Where were you?" she asked.

"After hightailing it out of the quarry, I went in the same you'd gone in, but I found no one. I thought I saw something green glint in the sunlight zip past some distance away, but other than more rabid animals, that's it," he said.

Makoto realized that she must have missed him when she ran back to the quarry to help Mask. The sensation of someone taking her hand in theirs' brought her out of her thoughts.

"Come on. You better be getting home. Your parents will be worried about you. I'll go with you and help explain everything. It's only right, after all," he said.

Makoto broke eye contact with him.

"Actually… it's fine. You don't have to do that. There won't be a problem," Makoto spoke in a low voice.

Mamoru tilted his head, finding this reaction puzzling.

"Now that's the second time you've acted odd when I mentioned your parents," he said.

Makoto looked back at him evenly. Mamoru opened his mouth, but it took a moment for him to find the right words.

"Look… I don't know if you're comfortable talking about this with me yet, but…is everything alright in the Kino household?" Mamoru asked.

Makoto sighed. Well, no point in dodging the topic anymore.

"They're gone, Mamo," she said sadly.

Mamoru's face turned from one of concern to sympathy. He nodded his face slowly, understanding the statement right away and completely.

"I see," he replied, in a low, soft tone. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Anyway… So you see…there's no one waiting for me at home. Just an empty apartment," she said.

"An empty apartment?" Mamoru asked. "As in the same apartment your parents used to live in?! Hasn't anyone taking over caring for you in their place?! They _had_ to have some kind of arrangement, surely."

Makoto lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Well, they did… The landlord of the apartment complex where I live is an old friend of mom and dad's, and my godmother. I didn't want to move out of the apartment, so we made a deal. She's going to let me keep living where I was, provided I do work for her helping to take care of the building and the other apartments when I'm not busy with school, work part time for her during school breaks, and that I get a job by the time I'm in high school," she said.

After she finished explaining, neither one said anything for a few moments.

"…I see. I didn't know, sorry," Mamoru said genuinely.

"I said it's alright, silly. You couldn't have known," Makoto shook her head.

"Actually, I should have been able to guess," Mamoru replied.

Makoto gave him an odd look, because she wasn't quite sure he meant. Mamoru chewed his button lip, lulling over what to say next. He sat up straight and turned partially in his seat to face her.

"You're not the only one to lose their parents to tragedy," Mamoru said.

"Oh, right… Your father, but at least you still have your mother. Misa. Misa Chiba. That has a ring to it," Makoto said, starting to grin.

"Actually, it's Kusaka. Misa Kusaka," Mamoru corrected.

Makoto looked at him curiously.

"Kusaka? How come you and your mom don't share the same name?" she asked.

"Well, she's not my birth mother. She just…" Mamoru paused, and then continued. "She took me in after the…accident."

"Accident?" Makoto asked, not liking the sound of that.

Mamoru looked down, his face turning grim.

"Yeah. You see, Mako, both my real parents are dead, too. It happened when I was six," Mamoru explained, his voice never reaching higher than a whisper.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!" Makoto gasped.

She looked at him sadly. One part of her wanted to ask what happened, but she knew from experience that having to tell someone about personal was a very difficult thing to do. She at least was already a teenager when it happened, but he was just a kid! So she said nothing. For a while, Mamoru remained silent, staring off into space.

"I only remember what happened after," he said when he finally spoke again.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Makoto asked.

"Well..." Mamoru said, but stopped again.

He paused again and turned his gaze up to the darkening sky. He didn't seem to actually see it. It was like he was staring _past_ the sky, lost in his troubled thoughts.

"You don't have to say anything you're not comfortable talking about with me yet," Makoto said comfortingly.

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I guess we had more in common than I thought," she said.

"You remember them, right?" Mamoru asked in a strained voice.

Makoto's brow raised.

"I'm sorry?" she said, confused.

Mamoru took a couple of brisk breaths before continuing.

"Do you still have memories of them to keep close to your heart?" he asked.

"Yes," Makoto replied.

"How did you survive the plane going down?" Mamoru asked.

"I didn't. I…I wasn't with them. They had gone on vacation for their second honeymoon and I was left with a caretaker," she answered, trying to understand what he was getting at.

Mamoru just nodded his head while he listened.

"You're lucky," he said.

"Lucky?"

"Because you still have them in your mind's eye. I have no memories of the first six years of my life, and no memory of my mom and dad. I only remember waking up in the hospital."

He turned away again.

"I was with them in the car when it spun out of control and went off the road. According to the doctors who treated me, it was a miracle _anyone_ in that vehicle survived. They said they found us all thrown from it even though we were all wearing our seatbelts, which were found sheared in half. My name is Mamoru Chiba and my parents died on my sixth birthday. That's all I know about my past," he said, each word felt like a lead weight.

"I was taken to the Kisaragi Children's Center for treatment of my amnesia. There I met a wonderful woman named Misa Kusaka, one of the facility's counselors. Since there was no next-of-kin to take me in, she did. She's been Mom ever since," Mamoru said, softly.

He smiled warmly, thinking of Misa. He turned to Makoto, taking her hand again.

"It's getting late, and I think this park's going to be left alone as is for a while now," Mamoru said.

He got up and helped her to her feet. Then without warning, Makoto threw her arms around Mamoru in a tight hug intended to give him some kind of comfort. He stood there, stunned for a moment. He reached up, putting his hands on her shoulders. She pushed her out of the embrace. She looked up him, doe-eyed. He understood what she had intended and was thankful. He momentarily considered of returning the motion, but decided not to.

"Keep it together, man. This is a fourteen year old girl you've dated twice. Wait… Why does getting too close to this girl feel wrong, but making out with Dumpling Head feel so right? What the hell is wrong with me?!" his thoughts scolded him furiously.

Makoto smiled, understanding that he wasn't going to give her any romantic gestures on the second date. Just having him come back to find her would do for now. Mamoru on the other hand, stood there very confused and displeased with himself.

"See you tomorrow, Mamo. The night was lovely while it lasted," Makoto said.

Mamoru watched her go, standing perfectly still. Somehow. Some of part of him was trying to tell him something. That much he was sure of. He just didn't know what the message was, or for what purpose it was being sent.

* * *

"How are your hands now?" Luna asked.

She received a grumpy grunt in response. Haruka looked over at her from the passenger side and held up her bandaged up hands.

"Well, that could have been worse. At least with our healing arts, those bandages will come off tomorrow," Luna said.

Luna pulled up Haruka's dormitory.

"See you tomorrow, ma'am," Haruka said, climbing out of the car.

Haruka grabbed the door to close, but then stopped. She stooped down looking in at her superior.

"Ma'am, what will you do about Usagi and her rash tendencies?" she asked.

"I don't know yet, but we cannot afford for her to hesitate like that again. The Tsukinos should be returning home about now. I'll also return and think about how to approach this problem. It's bad enough that the Dark Kingdom has had one of its elite returned to them. They cannot be allowed to get so much a second, so matter the cost," she replied.

Haruka nodded and closed the door. Luna drove off. Her mind was full of several deliberations concerning this new, dire develop. If Entomon had returned, then it meant that the others could, too, and that the Dark Kingdom would be looking to do just that. After all, they'd tracked down the first of them. They had their methods, and thankfully, so did the Keepers. The possibility that the Seven Great Youma might have been reborn as well had not escaped them and measures had been taken on the off chance that it did happen. However, nothing could have prepared them for the moment it actually did.

"Tomorrow, the battle begins anew," Luna thought.

* * *

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FOR THE GREAT, THE ONE AND ONLY, ENTOMON!" Aqua shouted.

She paraded the crustacean beast through the great hall of Beryl's throne room. He followed along behind her. Crowded tightly around on either side of the path the two walked was the court of the Dark Kingdom. They looked on the return of one of their greatest warriors with a mix of awe and excitement.

Entomon grinned at the sight laid before them. At the end of the walk was Beryl on her throne. On her right side, Kunzite and Zoicite stood. On her left, Jadeite and Nephrite.

"Just as I remembered," Entomon said wistfully.

When they reached the stone steps leading to the stone throne, Aqua and Entomon both got down on one knee.

"My Queen, I present you with Entomon, fourth born of Our Great Leader's seven Children," Aqua said.

"You have done well, Aqua," Beryl congratulated her. "You may both rise."

Aqua and Entomon complied. Aqua gave another bow and stepped aside, allowing Entomon to take center stage. He stepped forward. Aqua took her place at Jadeite's side.

"Good job," he told her quietly.

"Thank you, Master Jadeite," Aqua blushed.

"Ah, Mother's chosen disciple," Entomon said to Beryl. "It is good to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine. It has been a long time, Entomon," Beryl replied.

Entomon nodded in return. Then his eyes glanced from right to left at the four Shitennou.

"I see you still have your four hounds," he said. "I never would have counted on their loyalty to last the millennium, all things considered."

Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoicite suppressed the desire to speak out against this creature, while Kunzite alone was allowed an angry glare of rebuttal.

"They made their choice a long time ago," Beryl replied. "But that is not the subject of the hour!"

She stood up.

"Tonight, we celebrate! A major blow was been struck against the Keepers and their Warriors this day! Prepare the feast immediately!" Beryl shouted.

Cheers burst out from the crowd. Entomon turned to face his adoring fans, smiling and laughing. With his back turned, he failed to notice the dark expressions on the four Shittenou's faces. If he had seen, it wouldn't have mattered. He was Entomon, fourth born of The Entity. He'd think, _just what do these four men of a human kingdom long since fallen expect to do about me?_

* * *

Usagi rolled herself together into a tighter ball, sitting on her bed. She clutched her pillow close to her. Nearby, her radio played on a low volume setting some Easy Listening. In the dark, empty home, there was nothing to distract her from her woes. She buried her face in her pillow and began rocking back and forth. She quietly sobbed to herself.

"Is everyone going to hate me in the morning?" Usagi asked herself. "And will I deserve it?"

She heard the front door of the house open. She glanced over at the radio, listening for any sign of telltale static to indicate an unfriendly presence. Nothing, but more of that musak.

"Usagi! We're home! Usagi!" she heard Ikuko yell from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" Usagi called.

She climbed out of her bed and went out into the upstairs hall until she came to the top of the stairwell. Kenji and Ikuko stood at the base looking up at her. Kenji let a relieved sigh. Usagi slowly descended the steps, looking around for Shingo, but didn't see him.

"Where's Shingo?" she asked.

"Still at Jumpei's. We called him and told him to stay put when the alarm went out. The fifth floor in an apartment is high up and safer than in a house like this," Ikuko replied.

"Where have you two been?" Usagi then asked.

"Stuck in tragic for hours," Kenji explained. "Before that, we were trapped in the hotel our friend was staying in, because the building locked down during the rampage."

"Oh, Usagi, we're sorry. If we thought this was going to happen, we wouldn't have gone at all. …Have you been crying?" Ikuko asked.

Usagi wiped the dampness away from her eyes and charged down the rest of the flight before colliding into her parents' arms.

"I was SO scared! I didn't know where you were!" Usagi wailed.

"Hey, now, what brought this on?" Kenji asked his sobbing daughter.

The Tsukinos looked at her and then each other. They had expected her to be worried, but this reaction was extreme, even for Usagi. It definitely implied something else was wrong, too. Ikuko looked down and put a finger her Usagi's chin, tilting the girl's head up. The girls' face was pale and her eyes looked so, so forlorn.

"Usagi…?" she asked, taken back by she saw.

* * *

The front door to the apartment slowly opened. Mamoru stepped through, trying to remain as silent as he could. He closed the door behind him as gently as he could, all the while listening for life in the abode.

"Ow!" he heard Motoki yelp from his bedroom.

"Hold still, you big baby! You took a nasty spill. You're lucky that lobster monster didn't kill you," he heard Reika reply.

Mamoru silently breathed out a sigh. That was one worry taken off his mild. Both Motoki and Reika were okay. By the time he'd gotten to the Game Crown, the EMTs had cleared out any surviving wounded. He'd managed to find his best friend's coworker, Yuki, being interviewed by the police about what he saw nearby. He thought back on Yuki's words and on the state he'd found Yuki in. When Mamoru tried to talk to him, he found that Yuki's ability to speak had dwindled into insane ramblings.

"_Damn it! I'm trying… I'm trying to tell you! Why won't you listen to me, officers?! Damn you! DAMN IT! Mamoru! They won't listen to me! That strange creature… the world's in danger every minute it's alive… The deaths… GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! Mamoru, help me! They're mocking me! No, NO, don't lock me up! I'm not going anywhere with any of you! I'm not some hallucinating lunatic, let me go!"_

_Then he'd broken free of their grip and grabbed hold of Mamoru by the front his jacket._

"_These idiots are throwing away their hopes of salvation by locking me up and making me lost to our cause! THE DARKNESS COMES, AND WHEN IT DOES, IT COMES FOR US ALL! I saw it change, Mamoru! It was a man one minute, and then a monster! It was like the beast grew inside him and burst out! No one is safe, and no one can be counted on to be innocent! Trust no one!" _

"_Alright, young man, that's enough. Just calm down. We just want …" an officer said._

_Yuki's reaction was anything but sane. He spun around and bit the man on the neck, shocking everyone there. Then Yuki broke away from them running down the street with the policeman's associates hot on his heels. _

"_Help! HELP! They're after me!" Yuki shouted as he ran into the crowded streets of Tokyo. "Help, wait!"_

_He ran up to the nearest moving cars and tried to shout at the people inside, begging them to listen to him. _

"_No, wait, stop, listen! They're coming, and they're not human, please! Listen to me! They can look like anyone! We're all in danger! DANGER! PLLLLEEEASE!"_

_He witnessed the police tear him off the side of a semi truck that he tried climbing onto._

"_YOU IDIOTS! You're all in danger! Can't you see! They're trying to silence me! Help! They're after me, and tomorrow, they'll come for you! THEY'RE HERE ALREADY!"_

_Then after that, he just kept repeating "You're next!" as he hauled into the back of a squad car and probably long after, too. _

It had hurt to watch the normally laidback, even lazy, nineteen year old succumb to paranoid madness. It was because of that that Mamoru knew Yuki's words were true despite his behavior. Yuki had gotten a front row seat to Entomon's awakening and it had destroyed his mind. Of that, Mamoru was certain. Also, based on the carnage left in the beast's wake, Yuki was lucky to be alive.

Mamoru knocked on Motoki's bedroom door.

"Come in," he heard Motoki say.

He pushed the door open. Inside, Motoki was shirtless at the foot of his bed with his head bowed. Reiko was on the mattress behind him with a medicine kit.

"Hold still! You're such a baby! It's just bumps and bruises." she scolded him as she applied something to the back of his head. "You're lucky you didn't suffer any broken bones or a concussion."

"I know, but it hurts," Motoki grumbled.

He hissed in pain as she applied the medicine to the back of his head. Mamoru chuckled, watching the lovers. He closed the door behind him as Motoki's gave fixed on him.

"So I gather you weren't hurt badly by whoever was responsible for what happened this afternoon?" Mamoru asked.

"That's right. I don't know why, though," Motoki answered, sounding very grave. "I caught a glimpse of the damage when they hauled me out on a stretcher."

"I've learned not to question when life throws you a bone. Just be thankful," Mamoru replied.

Then he smiled.

"I'm glad you're alright, buddy," he told Motoki.

"Likewise. We were worried when we couldn't get a hold of you," Motoki answered.

Mamoru nodded his head and turned to leave.

"Well, I think I'll leave you lovebirds to your business. See you tomorrow."

"Mamoru," Motoki said seriously.

Mamoru stopped and turned to his friend one more time.

"Yeah?"

"Don't think I've forgot what I saw today. I know it's technically none of my business, but I think you should seriously think about what you do with a girl that much younger than you. I wouldn't even recommend dating as early as fourteen, let alone with someone in college."

Mamoru didn't reply. He just stepped through the doorway, but before he pulled it closed, he spoke a single sentence.

"Another time."

* * *

"Where were you?" Seiko Mizuno crossly asked her daughter.

"I…I…" Ami stammered.

"No excuses! I called the cram school when all hell broke loose. You weren't there, so where were you?"

"Making sure that a murdering little goat man didn't kill half the city," Ami wanted to say.

But instead, she made due with…

"I was at Nakashima Park, getting some reading done," she said quietly.

Seiko just narrowed her eyes at her daughter, before sighing.

"Well, I suppose as long as you weren't off wasting your time with those new 'friends' of yours'…" Seiko grumbled.

She pointed over to Ami's bedroom.

"Go to your room. Get your homework done before you go to bed. I will be bye to check your progress in a little while."

"Oh, sure, _now_ you take an interest in what I'm doing," Ami thought sourly as she quietly complied with her mother's orders.

She went into her room, making sure to close the door. That had been fairly painless. Ami looked at her desk, and then at the bed. She plopped the school bag onto the floor and fell face first into her pillow. Mother be damned, she'd spent all day running from Point-A to Point-B throughout half the city! She was tired!

* * *

"This is the news footage we've managed to get of Entomon so far," the receptionist said.

She aimed the remote at the big screen of the TV and flicked it on. Pious, Myddin, and Jocelyn leaned forward in their seats as they watched the recordings of the news chopper unfold.

"That's him, alright. No doubt about it," Pious said darkly.

"Goodness. I had already forgotten how violent they were," Jocelyn mumured.

Pious turned to Myddin.

"What now?" he asked.

What now?" Mydden repeated thoughtfully.

He took in a deep breath and then let it back out.

"For now, we shall keep a sharp eye and begin looking for the other reborn Great Youma, ourselves. We will have to proceed to extreme caution. The enemy," Myddin said. "The enemy now has a big advantage against us. The situation was changed. Mrs. Tiller. Send word to all the Keepers branches world wide. Tell them that to be on their guard, and that we will begin employing Order-44 immediately."

**A/N: **Yes, I am aware that tornados do not work that way.

_Celestial Warrior Moon _is now also on Fic Wad: /story/217619

Well, after months of trying, I have not found any Beta Readers to help me, so I'm counting on you guys point out any mistakes I miss when I'm proofreading.


	27. Chapter 25: An Uneasy Quiet

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**Drew L.**: Thank you. SomeoftheFame will be proofreading _Celestial Warrior Moon_, but thank you for the offer, anyway. Thank you for the review. Frankly, I'm just glad to have this particular battle over this.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **You're welcome, and always.

**IchigoUsagiHibiki: **You managed to get through over 200 thousand words in just a few days? I have to say I'm impressed with how fast you read. And thank you. I'm happy you felt my little fanfic was worth the trouble. :)

**Chapter 25**

**An Uneasy Quiet**

8:17 PM, Friday, May 29th, Schwarzwald, Germany

Separated by time zone and continent, trouble was brewing completely unknown to the Warriors and Keepers. Jenn Brauer sat fidgeting in her chair in the police interrogation room. Two police officers were seated across from her. One stood lining his hands on the table while the other sat with pen and paper at the ready. She brushed a lock of her golden blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Alright, Miss Brauer, I want to be absolutely clear. The purpose of this interrogation is to go over the events that transpired on Wednesday, May 23rd," the standing officer said.

Jenn made a quiet whining sound with her voice.

"But I've already told you, twice," she answered tiredly.

"We understand," the seated officer responded kindly. "But the fact of the matter is we still haven't found either of the missing persons, Aaron and Christian Kirsch, ages 10 and 22, respectively. We need to be thorough. Start at the beginning, please."

Jenn sighed with resignation. She nodded her head slightly.

"It started three days ago. Christian and I were both at university when he got a call from his aunt Irma. Her son, Aaron, had gone missing from The Black Forest. Aaron and Christian had always been close, so he left immediately to help go find the boy. I didn't feel right letting him go alone, so I went with him. We met up with the rest of Kirsch family and joined the search party. After hours of searching, we-Christian and I, broke off from the rest of the group and started to check out the abandoned property and that altar I showed you. Christian sent me back to get more help while he remained behind to explore the area some more. But by the time I returned with two officers and his uncle Sixton, Christian had disappeared.

"Other than that, I only know what you've told us. That something must have scared Christian while he was out there, because he broke into a run heading back in the direction we'd come from. Then whatever was chasing him must have cut him off, because his trail then turned back into the woods, ending in a ditch he must have fallen into," she stated the facts.

"Are you sure that's it?" the standing officer asked severely, looming overhead.

"Yes! Why do you keep bothering me?! Find Christian and Aaron!" Jenn demanded.

"We're the ones asking the questions," the looming officer rejected the question.

Jenn just glared up at him.

"Every minute you spend wasting your time keeping me here, you're not looking for Aaron and Christian! What is wrong with you?!" she cried, her emotions taking over.

Neither officer answered her. They just exchanged glances that seemed to be confirming something. She looked from one to the other, trying to discern the meaning. Then realization sunk in.

"You think I had something to do with it," she said.

"The fact of the matter is you were the last person to see Christian Kirsch before his disappearance, Miss Brauer. Your footsteps are the only other pair we've found at the scene," the non-menacing officer replied.

"But the only tracks by me end at the altar, which was all the further I went!" Jenn cried. "Christian's the only one who went up the building!"

"And there are no tracks or other traces of his unknown pursuer," bad cop replied.  
"His tracks lead up to a ditch he fell into, but the trail just ends there altogether. No other set of tracks leading into it, no tracks heading out, and yet he's not there. You have to admit, this whole situation is very curious and strange. Are you sure you didn't notice anything else? Anything else at all, will do? Was there anything off that you noticed?"

"Other than the altar and the burnt offering left there? No. Please, find my boyfriend and that poor little boy. Please," she begged.

The two officers said nothing. They had nothing to keep her with. A few minutes later, Jenn was let out of the room. She angrily stomped down the hall to the exit.

"Good evening, ma'am," the officer at the front desk greeted.

Jenn hummed in response without stopping or looking back. She exited out the front door of the station out onto the sidewalk. It was starting to rain, so she flipped up the hood of her jacket over her head. A little bit of water ran down her round, freckled face. She stepped down from the curb to hail a taxi. She looked back and forth, looking for the usual yellow color indicating a cab. The streets were surprisingly clear tonight.

"Of course, everyone else has already gone home to get out of the rain," she thought.

In fact, the only other person that seemed to be around on that particular block was a single man. He stood under the light of a streetlamp without nary an umbrella or even a raincoat. In fact, he seemed to be dressed in some kind of black business suit. Jenn could just made out the shape of a tie around his neck. He seemed to be staring right at her, but Jenn didn't give him any second thoughts.

Her attention was on the road, still attempting to flag down a taxi. After a few minutes, one slowed down and pulled into a parking space. She climbed into the back, speaking the desired address to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the lawyer man or whatever he was had walked over to her and now stood at the base of the steps leading into the police station. Again, she paid him no mind as the cab pulled away into the night. The driver seemed to be intent on striking up some kind of conversation with her, but she didn't really pay attention. Jenn just stared out the window, watching the water droplets roll down the window as they drove through town.

As they passed by another streetlight, Jenn blinked in confusion. Hey, that gentleman under that one looked just like the fellow she'd seen early.

"Oh, don't be stupid," she scolded herself.

It wasn't long before the cab neared the dirt road leading out of town towards the Black Forest, and also went to the Kirsch family home. The driver clicked on the turn signal well before turning off the paved roads of the city and onto the uneven one. Jenn shook back and forth in the back as the car rolled over old road that was desperate need of upkeep. Around them, the houses soon disappeared and were replaced with open country. Barb-wire fences were erected on either side to kind some kind of livestock pinned in. About fifteen minutes out from the town on the winding road, the open country started to end and trees began take over, but they weren't quite at the forest yet. The driver began to gently put on the breaks. Jenn glanced ahead.

"What are you doing, we aren't at the house yet?" she asked.

The driver stopped the taxi and faced her, putting his elbow up on the back of his seat.

"Sorry, miss. This is as far as I can go. Look," he replied.

He pointed ahead of them. Jenn unbuckled herself and over between the front seats. Ahead, the dirt road had collapsed into a sinkhole. There were two white and orange roadblocks, each with a flashing orange light set up, blocking any further progress. With a ditch to the left and a tall bluff to the right, there was no getting around it in a motorized vehicle. Jenn moaned, and palmed her face. She looked back up, resting her hands on the seats in front of her.

"What do you want to do, miss?" the cabby asked.

Jenn sighed and reached for her purse that she'd set down in the back seat next to her. She opened it and took out her wallet.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked.

"Are you sure you want to do that, miss?" the cab driver asked. "It's a forty minute walk before you'll arrive at the row of houses, and in this weather, it'll take even longer. There's a nice hotel in town I could drop you off at."

"Yes, I'm sure, but thank you, anyway," she answered.

"Alright," the taxi answered, shrugging and shaking his head at what had to be either her stupidity or stubbornness, or both.

She paid the man his Euros and climbed out of the taxi. She unfurled her umbrella as she began walking into the night. The light of the cab's headlights vanished as it turned around and headed back into town. She took out a flashlight from her coat pocket and flipped it on. The narrow beam of light lit the path ahead of her for the long, muddy walk back to the Kirsches. She worked her way around the big sunken area of the road, almost slipping and falling into the ditch as she did. Once she was past and on level ground, she just followed the road, heading towards where it ended. She didn't know how long she had to muck her way through the mire and downpour. More than once her feet sunk into the soft ground and she almost had her boots get sucked right off her feet numerous times.

Jenn stepped onto a slab of concrete left over from long gone structure that lied alongside the road. She bent over resting a hand on her knee. Sloshing through the foot-unfriendly terrain had been tiring, so she decided to rest for a bit before continuing on. She shined the flashlight around ahead of her to make sure she still had her bearings.

"Okay, I know where I am," she thought.

Ahead, the road continuing straight for about thirty yards before curving left and down out of view. Just over halfway, there was a turn onto an even older and narrower road heading up into the hills. That latter was her road.

"Christian…" she thought somberly. "What happened to you? Why did I leave you?"

The pounding on her umbrella began to subside. Jenn reached out a hand to feel how heavily the downfall was still coming. It had reduced to just a sprinkle now. Smiling, she folded her umbrella up back and stuffed it under her arm. The clearing weather along with thoughts of her boyfriend were giving her strength, she straightened up and began walking again. She had to get back to the Kirsch home. It was the best place to start from to keep searching for Christian and Aaron. She had no idea how late it was, but knew she had to make tracks to get back at a decent hour. They'd start worrying about her soon, what with it being a wet, miserable, cold night. Thankfully, the walk up the path wasn't too much longer now.

She stepped off of the slab back into the mud. She took the right path heading on up towards the houses built on high ground. Jenn made a slight grumbling noise with her throat as she was forced to lean forwards into her hike up the slope. Alongside the road, water flowing down the hill had formed a chuckling little brook. The air had grown quiet and still, and remained chilly.

"Now if the moon would just come out," Jenn thought.

She made her way up the path, intermittently shining her light on either side of the road. Something about walking along the very precipice of the Black Forest made her uneasy. The area up in the hills was decently wooded, though not dense enough to be considered quite in the forest just yet.

Eventually, she reached the top and a fork in the path. She could finally see light streaming out of windows all in a row some distance away. She turned left, taking the direction route to the Kirsches. She shined the light to the left. The light illuminated an old derelict coal chute and a wrecked shack. Jenn breathed a sigh of relief, as this was confirmation that she'd gone the right direction.

The sounds of animals had died down suddenly and she could the sounds of birds making haste into the sky. Crickets, owls, and everything else went quiet. Jenn skimmed the light across the ground and into the darkness on both sides of the road. She quickened pace, deciding not to linger if a wolf or something was prowling about. Light shined overhead as a patch of clouds cleared and the moon's light broke through. It was bright enough that it lit the path ahead.

Deciding not to take any chances of being seen by predatory eyes, Jenn flicked off her torch. She'd been walking for about ten minutes more than she noticed something else strange. This phenomenon was very faint, but a rhythmical pattern could be distinguished. It sounded like her footsteps were echoing. Now, she was walking on a dirt road in the middle of the country where it'd take more sound than her light footfalls could produce for that to be possible. It was then that she noticed just how eerily silent the night had become. Now at all right for the end of rainfall.

Jenn finally stopped and with trembling hands, fumbled to turn the flashlight back on. She shined it all around herself. She saw nothing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. It felt like she was falling, but she was standing still. She was far from satisfied that there was nothing out there in the dark night. Just the same, she resumed walking and picked up the pace towards shelter. After the fourth step, she heard the echo of her footsteps start again. Each splash and slurp her feet made, she'd hear another in perfect harmony with hers' on the road behind her.

She realized someone, or something, was following her. The presence behind her was taking deliberate action to stalk her. Jenn stopped again, and so did the repeat. She was too scared to turn around or try to shine the light on her surroundings again. She had a feeling that she wouldn't see anything if she had. She looked down at the feet and saw that she'd been leaving footprints in the mud. Hiding would be problematic in these conditions. Working up the nerve, Jenn started walking again continuing on her way.

"Oh, I hope it's just my mind playing a trick," she thought.

In another three steps, the echo began again. Jenn was paying attention to the timing all the way. A semblance of an idea was forming in her head as she went, and after a few more steps, she decided to enact it. She took a deep breath and stopped mid-step.

*Snap*

That was unmistakably a twig broken under a foot. That noise resounded from her ears and settled uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. She trembled and felt an icy chill start from her spine and spread throughout her whole being. Fearful tears threatened to begin flowing down her cheeks. She quickly came back to her senses and began walking hastily, almost jogging away from the presence behind her. This time there was no echo. The footsteps behind her were completely out of sync with her own and they were catching up to her! Jenn spun around shining the light behind her. What greeted her made her unleash a single, bloodcurdling scream.

There was someone standing a few yards behind her in the darkness. He, or she, was sitting on their haunches like an animal. The chaser was definitely human, and wore mud-caked clothes. Jenn could just make out jeans, a shirt, and a jacket. Shaggy dark hair hung messily on the person's head, ratty and tangled, some of it falling over the face. Jenn screamed again, backing away from her stalker. Its face was completely white where not covered with mud. It had two round black eyes and a round, black mouth. A second look made Jenn realize it was a mask, but that did her no comfort. The person wore no gloves on their hands, but from the color and size, Jenn could tell this was a male Caucasian.

He leaned to the side, tilting his head at an unnatural angle. Jenn took another step back, and he reared back began charging her. He was tall and lean, not unlike Christian. Jenn let out another scream, turned around, and ran for it. He started off running on all fours, and then rose throwing himself into the run with his arms at his sides. His long legs took broad, quick strides that caught him up to her after a few paces. He leapt at her. Jenn let out a short scream as his weight hit her from behind and she was tackled to the ground.

"NO! GET AWAY! LET ME GO! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she cried.

She flailed around, kicking and punching at him as best she could on her stomach and while trying to get turned over. The masked man ignored her strikes and pleas. He just grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her to her feet. She tried to hit him with her flashlight, all the while kicking his shins. He did not let go of her and began dragging her away off the trail towards the trees. She continued to shout and scream at the highest volume her lungs would allow. Finally, she nailed him in the head with the flashlight. His head jerked back and he let out of a pained grunt.

After stumbling briefly, his head snapped forward again and he growled at her. Then he roughly threw her to the ground at the base of a tree. Jenn raised her flashlight again and tried to hit him a second time, but he grabbed the torch and yanked it out of her hand so hard that it hurt. He tossed it aside and it rolled and spun over the ground before coming to rest pointing at them. He grabbed her by the shoulders again. Jenn gripped the ends of his jean jacket to steady herself. He tried pushing her back towards the woods again, but she resisted, pushing back against him.

"NO!" she shouted.

She reached up and pulled on his hair. He let out a small cry and pulled on hers' in return. She let go and then slapped the palms of her hands against his ears. The effect discombobulated him, and he released her again. He stumbled and fell onto his back. Jenn clumsily climbed to her feet and raced past him towards a nearby house, waving her hands in the air wildly and shouting. The chaser dizzily got up and ran after her inelegantly.

Jenn reached the bottom step of a flight of stones stars leading up the house and started to run up them. Before she got far, the chaser threw his arms around her middle and pulled her back and then swung both himself and her around before launching her into the air towards the trees. She slammed onto the muddy with a loud splash. She was landed face down, and rolled onto her side. He slowly approached, looming over her menacingly. He reached down for her and then…

BOOM! The sound of a single bullet being fired rang out. The chaser jumped in surprised before looking behind him. The owner of the nearby house, a short, stocky man with a red, round face, stood on his front lawn with a 12-gadge aimed into the air.

"YOU GET AWAY FROM HER, CREEP!" he shouted.

The chaser tore off back running back into the woods. Jenn tried to see where he fled to, but it was too dark and he was gone. She could hear her rescuer clomping down the stone steps towards her. She turned to him just as he reached her. He offered his hand and helped her back up to her feet.

"Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you?" he asked with a lot of concern.

"No. He just roughed me a little," she answered breathlessly.

"Well, help's on the way," he said. "My Hilde already called the police. …Hey, you're that Jennifer girl Christian brought with him, aren't you? Come on, I'll take you the rest of the way to the Kirsches. You shouldn't try to walk the rest of the way on your own, not after what just happened. The name's Ed, by the way."

"Okay," she answered.

She looked back into the woods after where that man had run off to. She didn't dare follow after. Something had been very wrong with him, and he was dangerous. Jenn walked over to the flashlight to retrieve it. As she did, she noticed someone else standing on the dirt road the way she'd come. She looked over her shoulder to call to Ed, but when she looked down the trail again, whoever it was had vanished as well.

Jenn shined the light all around slowly. She was sure, no, she knew it was true, that many eyes were looking out on them from the woods. She backed slowly away from the darkness the shadows of the trees created up Ed's driveway. Could that man have been what Christian encountered? Then she remembered the altar. It dawned on her that there could be a whole cult of these masked people running around the countryside and in the Black Forest, worshipping some obscure deity. She remembered the burnt offerings. Had a fate as a sacrifice just been averted for her?

* * *

"This again?" Usagi thought.

It felt like she was floating once more in a sea of thick, glowing fog. It was just like the other dreams she'd been having periodically. She swept her hand through the weird mist around her. Yep, it was the same teeny particles of precious stones swirling around her. Just like before, they were reflecting light and it was making it difficult to look at.

"Why do I keep seeing this place? Is someone trying to tell me something? I need to get out of this stuff," she thought.

That must have been the right thought, because the next thing Usagi knew, she was sitting in a king sized bed in a large, dark room.

"Eh?"

She looked down at the sheets. They were the purest white, as were the head and feet of the bed. The headboard was so tall it almost reached the ceiling. It was patterned like interlocking vines, complete with leaves and pods. All the weaving tendrils led to the center, which was a square plaque with the crescent moon symbol she'd become so accustomed to seeing. The footboard was much the same, only much shorter, only coming up above the mattress by about six inches.

"Whoa, okay, I think I like this dream now," Usagi thought. "I must be a princess or something."

The room she was currently in was about the size of her house. All around, there were wardrobes, potted plants, a desk with a big mirror directly opposite the bed, and more. To the left were two huge double doors presumably leading out into her mansion or wherever she was. To her right was a balcony. The portal leading out was a half circle at least as big as her actual bedroom at room and probably just as wide.

She climbed out of bed, letting the bottom of the fancy nightgown she had on drag along the white marble piles that made up the floor. She went out onto the balcony. The beautiful, sparkling city and the night sky greeted her. Usagi marveled at the splendor of it all, and then something odd caught her eye. Up in the sky…

"That's not the moon," she thought.

She leaned against the railing staring at the strange, large blue sphere that took up most of the view.

"Is that…a planet?" she wondered.

She also noticed odd little nights that seemed to hover overhead of the city. She craned her head to try to see them better. They looked like reflections, but what was reflecting them. She couldn't see a surface of anything. It was just as transparent as if there was nothing. Her eyes eventually trailed back down to the surface of wherever she was. She studied the surrounding city. It shined like diamonds in the dark. The skyscrapers, though just as towering as their real counterparts, looked like they were carved from gems and were constructed in the style of the Romans or Greeks, with columns adorning their outsides. She could see what had to be electrical lighting through their windows in the streetlights below. Also…were those…cars driving the paved streets below. This place was so alien, yet so similar.

Her eyes scanned the sights. In the distance, she could what had be a park and even further, rolling green hills surrounding the city. Then, she looked even further. Right beyond the border of the green hills, it looked like… She squinted try and see it better. Beyond, it just looked gray and dark. After a moment of considering what she was looking at, she got it. She glanced back up at the invisible canopy above. This was a bubble containing life, somehow. It was like this place had been constructed on the surface of a planet otherwise unable to support life.

"That's the last time I watch _Science Fiction Theatre_ before going to go bed," she told herself.

She turned to look straight up at the building she was currently in. It was definitely some kind of palace. Tall towers capped with domed roofs seemed to go as high as the skyscrapers of the city. It reminded her of that one famous palace.

"Oh, what was it…? I'm sure it was Taj…something. I think it's in India," Usagi struggled to think of the place.

It was right on the tip of her tongue, but before she could think anymore, a sudden whistling sound on the air broke her concentration. She turned around to see what it was, and then she saw it. It a single bright light was careening towards up the city from the surface of the planet high above. It tore through the protective layer over the city, which rippled in protest of the sudden puncturing. Usagi backed as it fell with an intense purpose towards the city. She could hear screams erupting throughout all of the city mere moments before the light crashed into the ground. Usagi screamed as everything turned to blinding light. And then she woke up.

Usagi let a scared little cry as she shot up bed. She sat up, clutching her blanket close to her chest as she stared into the darkness without comprehension. She was still lost in the terrifying event of her dream. Her body was caked in a cold sweat as she took several sobbing, shallow breaths. At the moment, she was too scared to even tell her dream from reality. For all she knew, the vague shapes in the dark she was kind of seeing were the ruined aftermath of that…_thing_, that'd hit that city.

The door of her bedroom opened. Ikuko looked over at her daughter.

"Usagi?" she asked.

Usagi flinched in surprise. She blinked off the last of the leftover fear and looked over to her mother.

"Usagi, is everything okay?" Ikuko asked.

"Y-yeah. Just a bad dream. I'm okay now," Usagi said in a shaky voice.

"Are you sure? You sounded like you were scared to death," Ikuko responded with a worried voice. "You sounded like something was trying to kill you."

"I'm fine. Really," Usagi replied, trying to sound chipper.

She feigned a yawn.

"See, I'm already getting tired again."

"Okay. Just call if you need anything," Ikuko said as she closed the door.

"She's not telling me something," Ikuko thought solemnly as she headed back to bed.

"Usagi," Ikuko called over her shoulder back to her daughter.

"Yeah, mom?"

"I can tell you're not feeling well. Since its Saturday, just go ahead and stay home from school. You'll only miss a half day, anyway," Ikuko said.

"Okay, thanks, mom," Usagi replied.

Ikuko paused in the hallway for a moment before heading back to bed.

"Sorry, mom, but if I told you anything, you'd be the one with nightmares like this," Usagi whispered after her.

She lied back down, pulling the cover up to her chin. She rolled over to face the window. She closed her eyes, but the rest of the night remained sleepless as the images of what she saw in her dream continued to haunt her well into the morning. Then the visage of Entomon appeared before her in the darkness. He was laughing viciously at her in her imagination.

Her eyes opened eyes. She stared into some dark corner of her room. Her eyes began welling up with tears and body began to twitch as she entered a cycle of quiet little sobs.

"I'm sorry, everyone. And, I'm so, so sorry I couldn't save you," she said to the victim that had become Entomon.

She curled into a tight ball in her bed as sorrow began to overtake her, not for the first time that that, and not the last.

* * *

6:30 AM, Saturday, May 29th, Japan

"Miss Rei, the sacred fire's ready," Chad called.

Rei entered the meditation chamber dressed in his miko attire. She carried a pencil and a notebook with her.

"I'm here. Thank you, Chad," she replied.

She knelt down in front of the fire, head bowed and hands together in front. Chad gave a bow to her and left her alone while she concentrated. With the room now empty and quiet, Rei could focus now. Her mind and body went serenely calm as she entered the correct state.

"The Dark Kingdom is targeting innocent people for their energy, and they've thus far succeeded in their mission. Who will be next? Who will they target, and why are they doing it?" she thought, attuning herself.

On the other side of the door, Chad leaned against the wall next to the door, vigilantly waiting nearby in case Rei needed anything. She had acted like this morning's meditation was especially important, so he was keeping watch to make sure nothing interrupted her. Not a sound could be heard coming from inside the room, so he knew she was already meditating.

Rei was fast becoming frustrating. She had her eyes closed and had opened her mind and soul, but she saw nothing substantial so far. Right now, she was receiving little bits and pieces that appeared in her mind. The images looked like people, but she couldn't be sure.

"Show me. I need to know. Lives are at stake," she willed silently.

Rei's body shook slightly. It felt like a barrier had been breached. Images of tools floated through her mind's eyes. Hammers, chisels, table saws, screwdrivers, soldering irons, and other like items. Then as a centerpiece, a wedding dress appeared before the whole thing vanished.

"What? What is this?" Rei thought, becoming confused.

Then, the visage of a young woman with a mousy look about her appeared. She had dark hair that was tied into a bun in the back. It looked like she was sitting at a school teacher's desk and had a blackboard behind her. Then, the visions ended. Rei opened her eyes. She looked from the burning woods to the notebook and pencil.

"It's not much to go on, but it'll have to do," she thought.

She began writing down what she saw while it was still fresh in her mind. Even as she did it, she somehow doubted that even the Keepers could find this person in time with the flimsy clues given from the vision.

* * *

"Miss Kino, can you answer the question?" Haruna asked.

She turned to the brunette, who seemed preoccupied in staring at Tsukino's vacant seat.

"Miss Kino?" Haruna called again, more loudly this.

Makoto flinched and turned to her face her.

"Wha-I mean, Yes, Miss Haruna?" Makoto replied.

"Can you answer the question?" Haruna asked again.

"What question?"

A few snickers broke out from around the classroom while Haruna gave Makoto a stern stare while putting her hands on her hips.

"Miss Kino, I think somebody's going to need some lessons in listening. You will be staying after school on Monday," Haruna said.

"Well, crap," Makoto thought.

Her thoughts didn't lament the loss on her Monday afternoon long, and they soon turned back to Usagi's empty chair.

"Where is she? Did what happened yesterday really take that much out of her?" she wondered.

She turned to Ami and Naru, who wore matching looks of concern.

After class, the three girls made a beeline for the nearest phone. Naru dialed up the Tsukino household number and the three crowded around the receiver while it rang. After the third ring, someone picked up.

"Hello, Tsukino residence, Usagi speaking."

"Usagi!" Naru cried, relieved to hear her friend's voice. "Are you okay?"

"She sounds tired," Makoto thought.

"Usagi, are you alright?" Ami asked.

"Ami, you're calling me, too? Yeah, I'm fine, I think yesterday really took it out on me. I'll be okay if I get a lot of rest this weekend."

"Hey, do you want us come over? We can keep you company. Nothing's worse than being sick and alone," Makoto offered.

"No, I just want to sleep. You guys just go ahead and enjoy your weekend. I'll see you girls on Monday, okay?"

"Okay, Usagi, but if you change your mind, we'll be right there," Naru said.

"Okay, guys, thanks. I'm heading back to bed, goodbye."

"Goodbye," Naru, Makoto, and Ami all chimed.

"She's lying," Naru said as she hung up.

"Then we should go over to her house and try talking to her," Makoto said.

"No. I've known Usagi longer than either of you. She'll open up about what's eating her when she's ready to talk. She always does. Let's at least give her until Monday," Naru said.

Makoto and Ami exchanged glanced, and then reluctantly nodded at Naru's proposal.

"Sorry, guys," Usagi muttered as she shuffled back into her room. "I just want to be alone right now."

She plopped down into her bed and curled into a tight ball, clutching her pillow tightly. Today, she didn't have the energy to do anything other than lie in bed. She looked up at the ceiling and watched the ceiling fan blades circle around and around overhead. Eventually, she turned away from the sight and rested her head on the mattress. She closed her eyes to try to get some sleep, but none came. None had come since the dream and memories of the day before.

* * *

"You knew, didn't you?" Luna asked Myddin harshly.

"Knew what?" Myddin asked coyly while lighting his pipe.

"Yesterday, I saw Haruka use a technique only a Celestial Warrior is capable of. Granted, it was at a tiny fraction of its full power given her Sleeping state and the use of an improper weapon, but THAT _was_ Space Sword she used," Luna said.

Myddin leaned back in his chair. He blew out a smoke ring, which drifted over his desk towards Luna. She was standing across from him looking very peevish. Her arms were crossed and she tapped her foot on the floor.

"Did I know that Haruka Tenou is another Sleeping Warrior?" Myddin asked.

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?"

"Well…" Myddin shrugged. "Yes."

He put the pipe back in his mouth. Luna narrowed her eyes as she stared at him.

"Why did you keep it from us, Myddin? We had a Warrior in our midst from the start…. No! For ten years since you took her in! And it never once dawned on you to Awaken her and use her against the Dark Kingdom?!" Luna cried.

A trail of smoke left Myddin's mouth as he sighed.

"Do you even know which Warrior she is, Luna?" he asked.

"Well… No, I've forgotten which one could cast Space Sword, but that was a Celestial Warrior technique, so what does it matter?!"

"It matters a great deal, actually," Myddin replied.

He got up from his chair and walked over to one of his many bookcases. He continued speaking as he looked.

"When Haruka can be Awakened depends on which Celestial Warrior she is," he explained.

He ran a finger along the spines of the old tomes until he found the desired text. He pulled the book free and took it with him back to his desk.

"I don't follow," Luna said evenly.

"What I mean to say is that there is a time and place for everything, and now is not the time for Haruka Tenou to learn who she really is. She is different from Usagi and the others. Don't tell me you can't see it," Myddin said firmly.

"Different or not, why not Awaken her?!" Luna exclaimed.

Myddin shrugged in response.

"I have seen who she is. Luna, I am afraid it is not our place to decide when this Warrior joins the fold," he whispered.

Luna, for the first time in her many years of knowing him, scowled at the old man contemptuously.

"So I understand that she is not to be Awakened?" she asked.

"That is correct. I am truly, very sorry, Luna," he said.

Luna visibly deflated at that.

"What now, then?" she asked.

"I have told Artemis and Minako to finish their mission as quickly as they can. I don't know how long it will take, but we will soon have all five of the Warriors we need," Myddin replied.

"Will that be enough?" Luna asked.

"We pray it will be," Myddin answered.

Luna let out another sigh.

"Myddin? How do you know all this about Haruka Tenou?"

"All in due time. Please, just trust me as you always have."

"…Okay. I will. I just hope we're not making a big mistake here. We have a lot riding on these girls. I just… I just hate the thought of shortchanging them, is all," Luna spoke, emotionally.

"I understand your reservations, but there are things at work beyond even The Dark Kingdom and the board's already set. All we can do is move the pieces to their appropriate places," Myddin answered.

"I…I understand."

* * *

"In a few days, Jadeite and I will be begin work on our next target," Nephrite thought to himself.

He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink. He set it back down and gave the restaurant a glance. He was supposed to meet Naru here for lunch after she got off school. He'd arrived a little early because he had nothing that needed doing at the moment. He'd sorted out the day's duties early and decided to waste time in their reserved booth. The booth was in the middle of the row, and at the wall opposite the door.

"Now I have to start getting information out of Naru. If she's one of the Celestial Warriors, or knows something, she's been very good about keeping a tight lip so far, but that'll change after today," he thought with a smirk.

Then he heard a familiar chuckle above him. Nephrite's brows twitched with slight irritation as his pupils turned to look up at the person peaking over the top of the divide.

"You again. What do you want?" Nephrite asked.

"My, someone's cranky," Zoicite teased.

"The girl will be here momentarily, Zoicite. She knows you, and if she sees us talking, it will ruin my chances of getting anything out of her. So please, state your business and then at least mask your presence if you're not going to leave," Nephrite said.

"Humph! I come all this way to tell that I've set up the next distraction to keep the Warriors occupied and I get treated so coldly!" Zoicite mock whined, and even have an over the top pout.

Nephrite ignored him, instead opting to take another sip of his tea. Zoicite laughed again.

"You're never any fun, you know that?" Zoicite asked.

Then the smile faded from Zoicite's face and trained Nephrite with a serious look.

"You better take care that the only 'anything' you want out of the Osaka girl are answers. Our Queen has very little patience for generals who waste time and resources on dead ends just to entertain their fancies," he said.

"Ugh," Nephrite rolled his eyes.

He turned back to Zoicite.

"First, Jadeite, and now you… Look, I have everything under control," Nephrite said firmly.

"Oh, do you? So the fact that the Osaka girl looks just like _her_ has nothing to do with your interest in her?" Zoicite asked.

"She's nothing like Mary," Nephrite growled. "I can tell the difference between my Mary and a girl that just happens to share her looks."

"…Alright. I'll believe you, for now, but remember, if you're just wasting your time with that girl, Our Queen will be furious," Zoicite said.

Nephrite snarled slightly.

"Were you really here to give me a status on your operations, or did Kunzite tell you to check up on me?" Nephrite asked in a hard tone.

"My, my, what an attitude you have," Zoicite said in a jovial voice

"You're questioning my character and you expect me to react kindly?" Nephrite asked incredulously.

Zoicite shrugged.

"Fair enough, but if things do get out of control, just remember that Jadeite and I both warned you. I will leave you now, and don't you forget what you've been told," Zoicite said.

Zoicite vanished from the restaurant, leaving Nephrite alone to his tea and thoughts. A few minutes, the restaurant's front door opened, ringing the bell position next to it. Nephrite looked over at the person who'd just entered.

"Ah, Naru," he smiled.

"Mr. Sanjoin!" she greeted lovingly.

"I'm glad you came. Oh, that's right, I'm sorry to asking to meet you soon after school. Did you have to hurry?" he asked.

"No, not at all," Naru replied, taking her seat. "I'm happy to come."

"And I'm happy to hear that," Nephrite answered warmly.

Naru took her seat and started looking through the menu.

"Hungry much?" Nephrite said with a slight laugh.

"Yes… My friends helped themselves to some of my lunch in their frenzied eating again, so I was running on half a tank for the rest of the day," Naru replied, grumpily.

Nephrite laughed at that.

"Was it Usagi, the one with the odango buns?" he asked.

"No, but if she had been at school today, the walking stomach, herself, probably would have been the one to gobble it down," Naru cracked.

They laughed quietly between themselves.

"How's Rui doing?" Naru asked.

"Oh, she'll have her first real match under my company this Thursday. It's at 4:30 in the afternoon. Want to come and cheer your friend?" Nephrite asked.

"Oh, could I?!" Naru asked ecstatically.

Nephrite shrugged.

"Why not? I'll make sure to get you a ticket, or two. Perhaps you might want to bring another friend along," he offered.

"Uh, sure! I'll have to ask around, but I don't think it'll be a problem finding someone to come with me," Naru answered.

"Excellent," Nephrite said. "I'll make the proper arrangements right now."

While Naru and Nephrite continued talking, another group entered the restaurant, a man, woman, and their three children. They were led through the main dining room by a waiter and were seated at a table not far from the couple. A sixth person that followed them and used them as cover slipped away once they reached their table and sat down at the booth just next to Naru and Nephrite.

"Now let's find out what that creep wants with Naru," Umino thought.

He began listening carefully to everything that Nephrite had to say.

* * *

"That's all I have as of now," Rei said.

Pious looked over the notes she'd scribbled on the page of the notebook with interest. Rei cleared her throat awkwardly and coughed.

"I'm sorry if it's not very helpful…" she said uncomfortably.

Pious looked up from the notes to her.

"No, no. It's not that. I think what you're given us is very distinct information. We need only to go over the list of persons supplied by Professor Hollingshead to match up with your notes with and we should find their intended target. Thank you, Rei Hino. You may go. I have work to do," Pious said.

He stuffed the notes into his briefcase.

"We will let you all know the instant we've found a match," Pious promised her.

"Yes," Rei said, giving a slight bow.

* * *

"Now you add the 4 ounces of vegetable oil," Makoto instructed.

"Sure…" Ami said hesitantly.

She poured in the contents into the pan as instructed, carefully.

"This is an awfully ambitious dish you're making," Ami said, looking over to Makoto who was dicing up some onion.

"Shrimp gumbo?" Makoto smiled.

She shrugged absently.

"I've never tried making anything _that_ foreign before, so I'm giving it try," Makoto answered.

"Yes, and it's taking an awfully long time," Ami said flatly. "Time that could be spent studying."

"Oh, you and your studying. There's more to life than books! Live a little!" Makoto snorted.

"Not when you're trying to become a doctor," Ami said plainly.

"Pfft! You're more than smart enough to get into any medical school you want and still have a little fun along the way," Makoto said, playfully.

"Then why are we doing what _you _think is fun?" Ami asked, smiling with a surprising mischievous look.

"Because _you_ would have had us up at the library on a Saturday," Makoto replied, smirking. "Booooo-oooring!"

"Now you sound like Usagi," Ami cracked.

"Perish the thought," Makoto said glumly.

Ami's expression turned from light-hearted to serious at mention of the girl.

"Hey, Makoto?" Ami asked, quietly.

"Mm?" Makoto hummed in response.

"About that Entomon creature. The one that used to be human. What do you think…about Usagi's hesitance? Would you have killed him knowing that he was a man?"

Makoto fell silent. Aside from the sound of the oven buzzing slightly while it heated up, there was no sound in the kitchen for another moment.

"I don't know," Makoto answered in a low, doubtful voice.

Ami looked away from her down to the pan before her. Her eyes turned to the recipe pinned on the side of the fridge. She read it, looking for something it do and saw that they needed 4 ounces of floor next. She went to retrieve the required ingredient.

"What I do know is this," Makoto spoke up again. "We can't have anymore monsters running around. If…if she can't kill, then I guess Mars and I will in her stead."

Her voice strained at that last part.

"I see," Ami replied.

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it. I'll be right back," Makoto said.

She took off her apron and ran to the door.

"Coming," she called.

She gripped the doorknob and turned it. She pulled it open and poked her head through to see who it was.

"Hello," she was greeted by Mamoru's grinning face.

"Hello," she replied, a bit surprised.

She stepped back, opening the door and allowing him to enter.

"Oh, I'm not coming in," he said. "But I do need to talk to you."

"O-okay," she said, thinking this a little strange.

She turned towards the kitchen.

"I'll back in a minute, Ami!" she called.

Then she stepped out onto the front step, closing the door behind her.

"So, what's up?" she asked.

"Listen, about yesterday…" Mamoru said hesitantly.

"Yeah…?" Makoto asked, puzzled.

Mamoru sighed as his mind looked for a delicate way to say this. When he realized he didn't have one, he decided just to be straightforward.

"Look, I like you. You're a fun girl, but…ah, I think this isn't the best of ideas right now. I'm in no position to have any real relationships right now, but…" Mamoru said

"You're not dumping me after just two dates, are you?" Makoto asked.

"No. No! It's just that….argh!" Mamoru growled with frustration.

"It's just that…I'm not comfortable with…going anywhere with this…right now. Let's not make anything official. I'll call you and we can hang out, but I'm not really in ready for a serious relationship right now," he said.

Makoto grinned upon realizing what he was very clumsily trying to convey. She leaned back against the door and started laughing.

"Oh, geez, Mamo, you really suck at this!" she laughed.

Mamoru shrugged awkwardly.

"Yeah, I really do," he said, half-grinning.

"If you want to take it slowly, that's fine with me. Hey, I'm making dinner, wanna come in. Ami's here, too," she offered.

"Nah, no thanks. I have some things I need to do, besides, I don't want to interrupt your time with your friends," he answered.

"Alright, see your later, Mamo," Makoto replied.

He waved goodbye over his shoulder as he left down the flight of stairs leading up to her apartment. Makoto went back inside. Ami poked her head around the corner from the kitchen, looking at her curiously.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Oh, that was Mamoru. He just came by to chat about something. So, shrimp gumbo! Let's do this!" Makoto said beating her knuckles together.

* * *

"Usagi? Usagi, dinner's almost ready," Ikuko called from downstairs.

There was no reply.

"Usagi?" Ikuko tried again.

"…Y-yeah, I hear ya, mom! Be down in a bit!" came Usagi's muffled reply from her room.

"Usagi, please come down," Ikuko practically begged. "You already missed lunch. You can't stay up in your room all day."

Upstairs, Usagi grumbled and sat up. With shaky legs, she climbed out of bed and left her comfortless sanctuary to go downstairs.

"Hey, Usagi, about time you came out of here," Shingo said, turning from the TV.

He and Kenji were sitting down watching TV, and when he turned around, his eyes stopped on her.

"You're still in your pajamas?" he asked.

She didn't even bother retorting as she shambled into the kitchen. Shingo and Kenji exchanged glanced.

"Something's definitely up with Usagi," Shingo said.

Father and son got up and followed the blonde into the kitchen. Glance over at them with a faintly worried look as she set down the dinner plate in front Usagi, who began absently digging at it with her fork.

"Talk to her," Ikuko mouthed to Kenji.

"Right," Kenji replied.

He went over to sit next to his daughter.

"Usagi, it's obvious that something is bothering you. Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really. It's nothing you can help with," Usagi answered dully.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Try me," Kenji said, smiling reassuring.

Usagi paused, mulling over what to say to him.

"…It's the monsters," she said.

"Eh?"

"They're everywhere, and they're not going to stop hurting people," Usagi said. "I've afraid I'm going to have friends get hurt by those things out there and even more worried that they're really going to start hitting close to home."

"Hey, don't you worry about that. Your mom and I aren't going to let anything happen to you or Shingo. Is that really all that's bothering you?" Kenji asked.

"Yep. That's all. Thanks, dad," Usagi lied, putting on another fake smile.

She realized they weren't going to be convinced unless she started eating, so she dug right in despite her lack of appetite. Kenji looked to Ikuko, knowing that their daughter was keeping something from her. Ikuko nodded

"I have an idea," she mouthed and turned back to the stove top.

Ikuko served the rest of the family their noodles and the four ate in silence. After a single serving, Usagi excused herself from the table and went back upstairs. After she gone, Kenji turned to his wife.

"What's this idea you have?" he asked.

"I'm going to talk to her friends," Ikuko replied. "She might not be willing to talk to us right now, but she might be more comfortable getting it out of her system around someone her own age."

"Sounds like a plan. I'd rather try that first than have to call some shrink," Kenji said somberly.

* * *

It was late when Luna got back. She parked her bike out front of the house. She stretched a few times to work out the kinks in her muscles. It had been a long day at Keeper HQ. She shook her matted hair after taking off her motorcycle helmet. She climbed off and headed inside. The lights were still on, so she knew that some of the Tsukinos were still up. She glanced up at Usagi's bedroom window and saw that the light was off. She checked her watch. 10PM. A bit early for her to turn in on a Saturday, she thought.

When she stepped through the front door, she found Kenji alone downstairs leading a book in the living room under the light of a lamp. He looked up from his reading.

"Oh, Megumi, welcome home," he greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Tsukino. What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing much, but there's something up with Usagi," Kenji replied.

Luna tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Oh? What like?" she asked.

"Well, she's hardly come out of her room all day and she's just acted really out of it for some reason. She says it's because of the monster attacks. She said they have her scared," he said.

"Understandable. Things have been getting hectic lately. Hey, what if I tried talking to her tomorrow? A little girl to girl talk. It can't hurt, right?" Luna offered.

"I'd be much obliged, because she isn't talking to us," Kenji said.

"Hey, it's no prob, Mr. Tsukino," she gave the thumbs up.

She yawned and headed upwards them. When she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced over at Usagi's room.

"Good. She's taking this seriously, but it won't do her any good to get depressed," Luna thought. "I'm not sure how to approach this. It's been too long since I was a teenage girl. I'll call in the girls for this."

"Sleep tight, Usagi," she whispered and went over to her room.

Tomorrow was going to be an eventful day, no matter what, but also a productive one. Luna was going to see to that.

**A/N: **_Celestial Warrior Moon _has been added to the community, _Favorite Stories That I Like_, started by moonclarinet. Thank you, clarinet.

Also, I have posted an updated version of the Prologue for this fic's sister story, _The Celestial Warriors of the Cosmos, _on : s/3101463/1/The-Celestial-Warriors-of-the-Cosmos. It's a lot different from the first one, which was just a lightly rewritten version of this fic's prologue.

**Special Note**

I am so sorry for the long delay, guys. This time, I just plain got sick. _Real_ sick. The kind of sick that feels like your entire body has made itself your enemy. But I'm back in business and the chapters will be rolling more quickly from now on.


	28. Chapter 26: Building Pressure

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**SomeoftheFame: **As always, thank you for your review. For some reason, either my mouse or my computer wouldn't let me paste this chapter into the PM I tried to send you so you could proofread it. I have no idea what's up with that, so the best I can do is to just post the story.

**Drew L.: **Thank you, I was hoping that people would find the chapter intro bone-chilling. As for whether or not the proxy is Christian…we shall see. ;)

**Toast: **I'm very happy you like my fic. Thank you for both taking the time to read it and leave a review. That means a lot to me.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Always, and you guys can all look forward to a much sooner update. My Spring classes are ending this week. My finals are due, and after that, I have all summer to write freely.

**enchanted-legend: **Ask and thou shall receive. :)

**Chapter 26**

**Building Pressure; the Dam Buckles**

11:05 AM, Sunday, May 30th, Japan

"Shouldn't we be training? Why are we hanging around at Keeper's HQ's break room?" Rei asked impatiently.

She stared at the other two girls seated across from her in the booth.

"Because we need to be a full unit before we can train properly, and to be that, we need Usagi," Ami replied, leafing through her homework notes.

"Usagi's in a funk, Rei," Makoto said. "According to Luna, she isn't taking Entomon's escape well. Luna and Haruka are bringing her and they'll be here in a few minutes. Now please try not to be too hard on her. We're _trying_ to bring her out of it."

"Maybe she should take a break from this whole Warrior thing for a while. We were just fine with just three of us before," Rei said, harshly.

"Hey, now, don't be that way!" Makoto replied, gruffly. "Right now, she doesn't need people breathing down her neck about what happened. We need to try to do what's best for…"

"I _am_ thinking about what's best for her," Rei retorted sharply.

"Come again?" Makoto replied, just as piercingly.

"She's been doing this the longest, started off alone, and has had to make some really tough decisions while we just mostly just follow her lead. It _had_ to occur to you that what happened on Friday might have resulted from all this crap starting to get to her?" Rei asked, grimly.

Makoto was stunned. No, it hadn't.

"Uh…well…" Makoto managed to babble out.

"Let's face it. She's _Usagi_. She's not exactly made for this…for what _they've _pushed on her," Rei said, putting special reproachful emphasis in reference to the Keepers.

Makoto remained silent. Her eyes fell from Rei to the tabletop mournfully.

"We shouldn't underestimate her," Ami spoke up.

"Hmm?" Makoto asked, turning to the petite girl next to her.

"I doubt that the power of the Celestial Warrior of the Moon would have passed on to someone who wasn't able to handle her duties. And besides, it's her decision what she does next," Ami continued.

Makoto nodded.

"And besides," Makoto added. "It's not like they are a lot of us to go around…but the Dark Kingdom has reserves upon reserves to throw at us."

"Well, that's our little conundrum, isn't it?" Rei asked, sighing.

"I guess…" Makoto muttered.

The door into the break room opened. The three seated glanced over and saw Haruka holding the door open for Usagi and Luna. Surprising, other than some scarring, Haruka's hand seemed to be completely healed. Keeper healers really must have been good at their job.

Luna nodded to them as she approached. They returned the gesture, and looked past her to the young blonde that followed after her. Usagi looked tired and stressed, honestly. This fact didn't surprise any of them, though it did distress them seeing those heavy, dark circles under her eyes. Haruka let the door slide closed as she followed after the other two over to the table. She wore a serious expression the same as Luna's.

"Usagi? Are you okay?" Ami asked with a lot of concern.

"Hmm?" Usagi replied, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just having a little trouble getting sleep, that's all."

She slumped down next to Rei and scooped over to let Luna in.

"A 'little trouble', my foot! Have you slept at all?" Rei asked, worried.

"Yeah, some," Usagi answered, resting her head in her arms on the tabletop.

"And this is her after some coffee," Haruka said, pulling up a chair.

She seated herself at the end of the table. After a pause, Luna was the first to speak.

"Listen, Usagi, we all know what's troubling you," Luna said.

"Oh, do you? Well, I suppose it's no great mystery. Are we really going to talk about that again? Look, I know I dropped the ball and you all probably think I should have killed him when I had the chance. I get it. Can we talk about something now?" Usagi groaned.

"Well, what else were you supposed to do?!" Rei snapped. "Just let him go?! Oh, wait, that's exactly what you did and now he's on the loose!"

Usagi visibly flinched at that. Luna palmed her face while Makoto and Ami winced at the outburst.

"Well, this is going nowhere fast," Haruka said.

She leaned over and tapped the younger blonde on the shoulder. Usagi turned her head to look at the tomboy.

"Look, kitten," Haruka said. "It's rough for all us right now. Its war, and at this point, it doesn't matter who was at fault, if anyone was. What's done is done, and there's no point in worrying about it until you have to. Just do what you can now. In war, you're going to win some, and lose some, but what you have to take from both victory and defeat is experience. I cannot stress enough that you have to learn from both. And you're not doing yourself, or anyone else, any favors by getting depressed and shutting yourself off like this."

"But more people are going to die now," Usagi replied.

"I think Haruka's right," Makoto said. "As much as I hate to say it, there were always going to be more victims. We'll just have to worry about Entomon when we next get the chance to confront him. In the meantime, we should be focusing on making ourselves stronger and more able to prevent any victims like Crane Game Joe."

"And more able to bring that crab down," Haruka added.

"I agree as well, and you won't be alone," Ami said, putting a hand comfortingly on Usagi's shoulder.

"You'll always have us," Rei added. "Always."

"See now. You're with friends here. Please do try to cheer up, Usagi," Luna said. "It's not all bad in the world."

By now, Usagi had sat up. She looked around at the other four with doubtful eyes.

"For what it's worth, I don't blame you one bit. There's no way you could have been prepared for what happened on Friday," Makoto put in supportively.

"The only people I blame are the Dark Kingdom," Ami said.

"No one is angry with you," Luna spoke.

"So, kitten, how about the next time those jerks show their faces, you show them that we're not going to put up with their crap," Haruka said wryly.

Usagi actually giggled at that last comment from Haruka.

"Alright, guys, that does make me feel a little bit better, so what now?" she asked.

"Now, you need to take your mind off things. You spent all of yesterday stewing over it. So…" Luna said.

She pulled out her wallet and took out her credit card. She handed to Makoto, who looked at her curiously.

"It's on me, take Gloomy here out and have some fun," Luna instructed. "You all might need it, actually, especially considering what we have planned for tomorrow."

"What's going on tomorrow?" Usagi asked.

"A meeting. I want you all there after school. I don't know the time yet," Luna answered. "It concerns the energy drain victims. Pious and Professor Hollingshead believe they've found a match to the person Rei saw in her vision."

"Really?!" Rei asked, practically beaming.

"Yes, and you," Luna turned back to Usagi. "You make sure to get plenty of rest tonight after you get back home."

"No promises," Usagi said dumbly.

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Makoto smirked, looking at Usagi. "By the time we're done with you, you'll hardly be able to keep your eyes open long enough to plop into bed."

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock_. Artemis looked up from the paperwork on his desk. Inspector Wakagi was glaring in at him. Artemis sighed.

"Come in," Artemis called, wearily.

Wakagi opened the door of the office, practically slamming into the wall. Artemis met his venomous gaze calmly.

"There you are," Wakagi said, bitterly.

"I was expecting you," Artemis said evenly.

"Damn right," Wakagi growled.

He shut the door behind and walked over to the other man. He grabbed Artemis by the shirt collar roughly and dragged him to his feet.

"You swore you and your little hero had things under control, Ishida," Wakagi's voice began to rise.

"I was mistaken, terribly sorry about that. I wasn't expecting the insect beast to be so strong, nor did I foresee multiple attacks happening around the city."

Wakagi sighed and let go of the faux-inspector. His look of contempt and disgust lessened a bit, since he supposed that was a scenario that couldn't have been predicted. That didn't mean he was going to let Ishida off the hook, though.

"I warned you, Ishida. I warned you that if things got out of control, I'd find some way to get your badge and that I'd see you behind bars. Well, that's just what I'm going to do. Tell me one thing before I go, though, can any of the beasts that were slain yesterday come back like that one called The Rake? CAN THEY, ISHIDA?!"

"No. The Rake is a special case. Satyrs and wood trolls, once killed, are dead for good," Artemis answered, while he straightened his shirt.

His expression fell solemn.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"You'll have to do better than that. I'm out of here," Wakagi responded.

"Fair enough," Artemis replied.

He sat down again at his desk.

"Good day, Inspector Ishida," Wakagi said, with cold politeness.

He left the office as quickly as he came, and headed over to archives. He stopped by the front desk before he went down.

"Get Superintendent Sakurada, I'll need to talk to her shortly."

Then he headed on down into the basement where archives was located. He marched right up to the policemwoman at the desk.

"Inspector Wakagi," she greeted him, standing up.

"Aoi," he answered back. "I need the file of every beast Sailor V and those Warrior girls have dispatched since they began. _Yes_, it's urgent, and _yes_, I need them all _now_."

* * *

"You're sure of this?" Mamoru asked.

"Of course I'm sure. I spotted him across the street before I left those two alone," Orion answered.

Mamoru didn't look up from stirring the spaghetti he was preparing for himself while he and Orion conversed. His comrade currently sat perched in the open window in his bird form.

"So what were you doing at the grocery store on Friday?" Mamoru asked.

"I came across the Osaka girl, the one with a slight habit of getting herself into trouble," Orion answered. "I thought that the Dark Kingdom might try to take her again amongst the confusion. So I kept watch over her during the duration of the animal attacks. Afterwards she went off on her own to go home, and I saw Nephrite make his move to follow her. I'm not the only one who saw him. The boy she was with saw him, too. He thankfully had the sense not to cause a scene. If he had, I'm not sure what Nephrite might have done, but I did make my presence known to Nephrite, and gave him a little warning that I will be keeping an eye on the girl."

Mamoru turned to Orion for the first time since this conversation began.

"What do you think we should do about this?" he asked.

"That's entirely up to you. We could do nothing and just sit back and see what Nephrite's up to, or we could intervene now and possibly save the girl," Orion replied.

"The Dark Kingdom's taken far too much as it is. It's time someone showed them that they can't just mess with people's lives, or an innocent girl's heart," Mamoru said.

"She probably won't believe you," Orion said.

"No," Mamoru said, and then smiled. "But I do know someone she might listen to."

* * *

"Why does the Sailor V game have to be so hard?!" Usagi whined as the on-screen avatar died for the nth time.

Makoto leaned over from the game next to it still holding the light-shooter for the game she and Rei were playing.

"Maybe you're trying to muscle through too much," she suggested.

"That's interesting coming from you, Mako," Rei said wryly.

Makoto stuck out her tongue at the raven head before turning back to gunning escaped aliens.

"Mako may be right," Ami said over her shoulder as she slid another row of rocks into the Tetris pile. "Maybe that Sailor V game you've been toiling over endlessly requires a little more strategy than you give it credit for. Try again, and think before you act."

"Bleh. I'd rather just shoot stuff!" Usagi replied.

"And there's your problem right there," Rei said.

"Eh, what do you know?" Usagi shot back.

"Just that you lack elegance," Rei replied, evenly.

"I'll show you lack of elegance! Come here!" Usagi cried.

She dove over to Rei tackled the girl away from the console.

"Hey! Hey! I was playing that!" Rei cried, annoyed.

She tried to dislodging Usagi's grip around her waist, but only succeeded when Usagi let and reached under Rei's armpits and began tickling her.

"Ah! Stop that!" Rei cried, as she began to break out into a laughing fit.

"Hey, Rei, better get back here. I'm having trouble doing this by myself," Makoto said.

Makoto was not holding both shooters and blasting all he monsters on the screen by herself.

"I'm trying!" Rei exclaimed.

She turned to Usagi with a fire in her eyes.

"Let's see how you like it!" she said, hoarsely.

She then reached under Usagi's armpits and did likewise to her. The sound of the two girls trying to suppress their laughter was soon getting the attention of the rest of the arcade. Enough so that the clerk handling the front counter full of items that could purchased with tickets won from various games came out from behind it and went over to them.

"Hey, now what's all this?!" she demanded, sternly.

The two teens stopped their assault on one another and turned to the clerk sheepishly. The clerk had her arms crossed as she stared to the two down.

"Now, I'll say this once. No more rough-housing or you can both leave. Got it? This is the Aladdin's Castle, and the patrons expect to waste their allowances in mindless activities in peace," the clerk said. "Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Usagi and Rei both replied.

"Good. Don't let me catch you doing it again." With that, the clerk back over to the counter.

"This is no Game Crown, that's for sure," Usagi grumbled.

"And that's no Motoki," Rei concurred.

Umino peered in the window of the Aladdin's Castle and he watched Usagi and Rei go back to their previous activities He had been hoping to find someone to talk to, and he'd just hit the jackpot. He had just happened to spot his three classmates and that miko girl they often hung out with from the street. He stepped back out of sight nervously.

"Okay. Umino, you are a man and you've got this. There's no way Naru will listen to me, so I need to tell someone who she will lend an ear to," he said to himself aloud.

He looked around to make sure he wasn't getting any stares as he talked to himself.

"Okay… I…I just need to be calm and collected, and just tell it as it is, and if they need evidence, show them the picture I managed…to…get…"

Umino buried his face in his hands.

"Oh, man, I'll look like such a creep…" he whined.

He lowered them from his face and looked up at the sky. He shook his head.

"And I've got no other choice. That guy is a just plain bad," he said.

With that, he steeled his nerves and marched into the arcade.

"I wish I'd actually gone to the Game Crown on Friday after going with Rei to Keeper HQ," Usagi thought sadly. "I might have kept Motoki from getting hurt…and I might have stopped Aqua from Awakening Entomon to begin with."

Makoto and Rei glanced her way briefly in the midst of their game.

"At least she's definitely feeling better," Makoto thought.

"She wouldn't have even had the energy to try that with me this morning," Rei's own thoughts said. "At least our fun afternoon is working."

Then someone cleared their throat awkwardly nearby. At first, the four girls paid no attention, but then whoever it was repeated the noise, this time a lot louder and more forceful. They looked over at whoever was obviously trying to get their attention. Umino was standing there, looking very uncomfortable. He nervously tapped his fist against his thigh and looked away from them like he was expecting them to be angry.

"Hi," he said uneasily.

"Hey, Umino, what's up?" Makoto asked, distracted.

"Good…I'm good…listen, can we talk?" he asked, timidly.

Usagi exchanged glanced with the other three before turning back Umino.

"What about?" she asked.

"Not here. Can we go somewhere a little quiet to talk. It's…kinda important," he said.

"How so?" Rei asked.

"It's about Naru," he answered. "I think she's in trouble, or she's going to be."

That got their attention. All four Warriors stopped what they were doing and looked at him straight on.

In few minutes in the alley beside of the arcade, the five teens gathered. Usagi, Makoto, Rei, and Ami leaned against one wall while Umino leaned against the opposite one.

"We're listening," Usagi said. "What's this about Naru?"

Umino took in a deep breath and let it out a long whoosh.

"Alright, first of all…she's got a boyfriend," he said.

The quartet stared at him with varying degrees of being stunned.

"What," Usagi managed to blurt out.

"Yeah, she's got a boyfriend, and I don't think he's any good for her," Umino repeated.

"Wha… How do you know this?" Makoto asked, still astounded by what she'd just been told.

"Well, I didn't mean to," Umino said pathetically.

"Never mind any of that!" Usagi said, with a surprising amount of firmness in her voice.

She grabbed Umino by the shoulders, but not roughly.

"Umino. Start from the beginning," she said, seriously.

"Alright," Umino said, timidly.

He retold the events on their end on Friday, though he left out the part where she was spying on Makoto and Mamoru, deciding that he'd probably lose all credibility in their eyes if he did tell them.

"So…you were helping her grocery shop?" Makoto asked, skeptically.

Umino flushed.

"Well…she…asked me to," he answered, feeling embarrassed with himself for hiding some of the truth.

However, the reddened face saved him, so the foursome in front of him took it to mean something else entirely. Makoto let a half-smiled cross her face.

"Oh," she said, thinking she was getting at what Umino meant.

"What? Oh, no, no, NO! It's nothing like that, I swear!" Umino insisted, fervently.

"Suuuuuure, it isn't," Rei teased.

"Focus, girls," Usagi said, crossly.

That earned her four surprised looks.

"Alright, you were grocery shopping with Naru. What happened next?" Usagi asked, intensely.

Umino recounted the animal attacks in the store and their aborted escape attempt thanks to avian interference. Then he finally got to the good part.

"We went our separate ways to go to our homes and check up on our families, and that's when it happened. I happened to catch sight of him just after Naru rounded the corner. I saw a guy dash across the street after her. I thought she was about to get mugged or something, so took out my pepper stray and ran after them only to find that him talking to her. From what I gathered, they were dating, and he offered her a lift home in his car…"

"Cars?!" all four girls asked at once.

"Yeah, the guy's about twice our age!" Umino answered, still not believing it, himself.

"No offense, Umino, but that's a lot to swallow," Ami said.

"No, it really isn't," Usagi put in unhappily with a voice that sounded more like an exhaling croak than her usual vocal pitch.

"Say what now?" Makoto asked her.

Usagi sighed.

"Naru likes older guys. Always has," she said, heavily.

Makoto cleared her throat uneasily. She suddenly found herself in a very uncomfortable position in this conversation.

"Okay, yeah, what she's doing is very unadvisable, but I don't see why this is as big a deal as you're making it out to be," Rei said.

"Why did he rush so quickly across the street to catch up to her without saying anything? Why didn't he just call to her the moment he first spotted her? The way he ran after her…it was almost like he was scoping her out. It makes me wonder how long he was watching her across the street before making his move. It was like watching a stalker make his move," Umino responded.

The five of them stood in silence for a while as those words sunk in.

"That's actually a good point," Makoto said, thoughtfully.

"A real good point," Usagi added, gravely.

"That's not all…" Umino said.

"Hmm?" Rei hummed.

"They went on another date yesterday. Naru went straight to the restaurant where they met up right after school," he said.

"You followed her?" Ami asked, uneasily.

"Hey! I don't trust that guy," Umino said defensively.

"I don't blame you. Go on," Usagi urged.

"Well…" Umino began.

"_You could even bring three friends with you, if you like?" Nephrite offered._

"_Three? Two free tickets sounds too good to be true, but four sounds like an invitation for media gossip," Naru mused._

"_Yes, it does seem to invite trouble, doesn't," Nephrite said._

_He smiled slightly._

"_But, since when are you one to stay away from trouble?" he asked, winking._

_Naru blushed at that comment._

"_Oh, my! …But what would I ever say to them when I invite them?" she asked._

_Nephrite shrugged._

"_Just say it's a favor from a friend. I'm sure they'll come. To ask, you just have to have a little courage is all," he said, easily._

"_Well, I guess it being a favor wouldn't be untrue," Naru said._

"_Of course not. It's my favor to you, and I promise one hell of a show," Nephrite smiled._

_Naru smiled back, but her face soon fell._

"_Alright, then, but it'll be a real shame that you'll be busy tending to your duties as manager at the show. I won't even be able to spend any time with you at the very show you've invited me to," she said._

"_I don't think your friends would approve of me, anyway," Nephrite said. "Unless, of course, we're all comfortable revealing our secrets."_

_Naru wetted her lips._

"_I'll have to think about that. I haven't enjoyed keeping this from my friends, but I don't know if I'm ready to reveal this to them yet," she said._

"_Indeed. I know how hard it can be for a girl coming with their first serious relationship with the boyfriend being her own age, but with him being me, that's another story altogether."_

_Then Nephrite leaned in._

"_If you need to talk to me during the match, just excuse herself from your seat and come on down to the Employee Area. I'll make sure they let you in. It'll be no problem and they'll even know we spoke with each other," he offered._

"_Okay, thanks, Masato!" Naru said, sounding relieved._

"_It's no problem, anything to make my little celestial beauty happy," he said._

"And after that, they started talking about this and that. Nothing important," Umino said.

He paused and looked at each of the girls facing him.

"Did I…say something wrong?" he asked.

The four Warriors all wore the same grim expression on their face.

"It's nothing. Thank you for looking out for Naru, Umino," Usagi answered. "We…uh, have to do some talking about this, ourselves. See you around, and thanks, again."

Umino let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh… No, thank you," he said, almost joyously. "I wasn't expecting you to believe me."

"No, we believe you. Big time," Makoto replied.

The four walked out of the alleyway, followed by Umino, who then went his separate way.

"See you at school tomorrow, ladies," he said.

"Yeah, bye, Umino," Usagi said absently.

They huddled around each other.

"What do you think?" Usagi asked.

"I don't know. On one hand, it looks like he's practically flaunting the fact that he's trying to provoke something here, but we have no proof," Rei said in a quiet but hard tone. "I have a very bad feeling about this, as in my intuition is telling me something is very wrong here."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," Usagi nodded.

"This could be very bad. We already know that enemy was aware of Naru. They've invaded her house and her mother's shop already, for crying out loud!" Makoto whispered.

"And they abducted her at my family's shrine," Rei added.

"And now they're possibly dating her," Ami said.

"What for, though?" Usagi asked, confusion in her tone.

"They could think she's one of us. This would be a very good opportunity to try to learn our identities. We have to keep a close eye on whoever this guy is," Rei said.

"But why let Umino get away with letting any of this out?" Makoto asked. "If this guy's one of the enemy, he had to know he was there."

"The enemy has to know that the Warriors are at least in proximity to Naru," Ami explained. "If he is, I don't doubt that he knew that Umino was there the entire time. By letting Umino wag his tongue, he'd be increasing the chances of drawing our attention."

"If that's what's happening here, then it's just like that day at Dream Land. That was Nephrite behind that, wasn't it?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, yeah, if, we're right, then this has Nephrite stink all over it," Rei answered, bluntly. "He didn't care that we knew we walking into trap then, and he wouldn't care now. He'd know we can't ignore him and that we'll walk right into a scenario he's set up to be in his favor because we have to."

Usagi sunk against the side of the building. Her entire being seemed to droop. She hung her head limply. A shocked, scared expression crossed her face.

"This is all my fault. I never should have told her anything," Usagi said in a shaky voice.

"If only…" she tried to continue, but her voice cracked as tears began to roll down her face.

"Hey, hey now," Makoto said comfortingly.

She put both hands on Usagi's shoulders gently.

"You did what you had to. It is not your fault the enemy knows about Naru. Before you ever did anything at all, they were already invading her life, both at home and her mother's shop. Everything they've done to her is their fault and their fault alone," Makoto spoke softly.

"Absolutely, and right now, someone here needs to make sure we attend that tennis match," Ami said. "If the enemy has something planned in a stadium that's going to be crowded with innocents, we need to put a stop to it."

"We'd be at risk of exposing our identities in a situation like that," Rei said.

"That changes that we need to get in there, how?" Makoto asked.

"It doesn't," Rei answered.

She turned to Usagi, arms crossed.

"So what do you say, boss?" Rei asked.

Usagi wiped away her tears and looked up at her three comrades with a look of determination.

"The Dark Kingdom…is going down," she said resolutely.

She stepped away from the wall, feeling a vigor that she didn't even know she still possessed.

"No one messes with my friends. _No one_," Usagi said, darkly.

She had a dangerous look in her eyes that surprised the others, making Makoto actually take a step back.

"Girls, move out," Usagi ordered. "We have work to do."

* * *

"This is our next target, Helen Lambert," Nephrite said. "She is a home economics teacher at Lakeside Junior High School in Cleveland, Ohio."

The image of a mousy woman in an orange sweater and white skirt appeared on the screen. She was round, wide-rimmed glasses and her dark hair was done up in a bun. Jadeite and Zoicite watched the TV screen with interest from the couch in Nephrite's study. Nephrite stood just out of the way of the screen in the middle of the room.

"Her energy reaches an all-time peak in Wednesday, June 3rd. incidentally, that's also the same day she's getting married," Nephrite said.

"Sounds like you and Jadeite and going to be regular wedding crashers," Zoicite remarked.

"Indeed. She and her fiancé are getting married in the Jonell Wedding Chapel on 10518 Superior Avenue," Nephrite said.

Nephrite went to next clip, showing a humble little chapel on a street corner. It was a fairly small stone building. The only remarkable thing about were the gold letters on the front.

"They couldn't afford better than that? That looks like a cheap hotel," Jadeite commented.

"They're both school teachers living in America. What more could you expect from their finances?" Nephrite answered.

"Ah," Jadeite and Zoicite replied.

Nephrite turned to Zoicite.

"Yesterday, you said you have the next distraction for the Keepers and their Warriors ready. It can be ready to go by Wednesday…well, Thursday, in Japan?" he asked.

"Oh ye of little faith," Zoicite grinned. "Don't you worry, I have everything prepared. Now that I have a date on which to work my magic, I can have the Keepers and Warriors breathing down my neck without fail. Oh. Speaking of which, I had better get to work on that right now."

Zoicite teleported away, having once again left before explaining his plan to his cohorts as he always seemed to do. Jadeite fixed Nephrite with a hard gaze, which the latter caught almost immediately. Nephrite put his hands on his hips indignantly.

"And what, pray tell, is that look supposed to mean?" Nephrite asked, becoming fast put off by it.

"So, we're interrupting the most sacred of events between a man and a woman for the sole purpose of killing the bride," Jadeite said grimly.

He got up and walked up to Nephrite.

"Sound familiar to you at all?" he asked.

Nephrite turned away from Jadeite.

"I'm not going to lose my nerve, if that's what you're asking. You and Zoicite don't seem to think I have my own emotions under control," Nephrite answered, coldly.

"You never did where it concerned Mary or anything that reminded you of her," Jadeite said.

That did it. Nephrite spun around and grabbed Jadeite by the front of his uniform. He lifted the smaller man into the air, growling the whole time. He looked, and was, furious. His eyes were wide and wild.

"Maybe I'd have an easier time to keeping myself under control if you two would stop digging open old wounds! I get it! You think I'm flying too close to the sun! You can stop prodding me anytime now!" he shouted angrily.

Jadeite remained cool, and simply grabbed Nephrite's hands, removing them from his uniform shirt. He dropped to the ground without so much of a thud.

"We don't have to go after this one, Nephrite," Jadeite said. "There are other people on that list for that day. We could go after any of them."

"But the young and energized Miss Lambert will wield the richest harvest," Nephrite replied.

He backed away from Jadeite, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. When he looked back to Jadeite, he had composed himself again.

"No, old friend, we go after the best prize we can get. Our Queen will not wait forever for the awakening of our great leader. We have to step up the pace."

"If you insist," Jadeite replied.

"I do," Nephrite said.

He started to turn away from Jadeite again, but then stopped himself, and faced the other man again. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Sorry. Forgive my outburst. I know what you were getting at, but I'm fine. Really, I am, Jadeite," Nephrite said, a slight shake in his voice.

"I can see that," Jadeite replied, cuttingly.

"Just promise me one thing. That your personal feelings will not compromise the mission," Jadeite then added, sincerely.

"You have my word," Nephrite vowed.

"Good."

* * *

Kenji and Ikuko both sat down on the couch in the living room. Ikuko glanced at the clock. It was nearly 8 O'clock while her husband turned on the evening news. Usagi would have to be coming home soon.

"Don't worry," Kenji said in an assuring tone.

"I'm not. It's just that tomorrow's a school day and I want her home in plenty of time to go to bed," Ikuko replied.

"I don't think that's going to be problem. Megumi and her friends are running her around town. Our baby is probably going to be dead tired when she comes h…"

The front door suddenly flew open and in dashed Usagi.

"Hi, mom! Hi, dad!" she said energetically. "Sorry, can't talk. I need to get a few things done. Oh, here's Megumi's credit card! Make sure she gets it back when she comes home! Seeya!"

Usagi disappeared up the stairs, possibly breaking the sound barrier on the way up. Ikuko turned to her husband wryly. He laughed with embarrassment upon catching the look.

"So much for that," Ikuko said.

"Oh, let's just the news," Kenji said huffily.

"In light of the Friday incident, now called Triple Threat Friday," the news anchor said. "Councilor Takashi Hino has called a follow-up press conference to assure the public of their safety and that the world's governments will respond to the violence that has been broken out on our very doorsteps. We will be going live with our man on the scene shortly, but first, this is a little update concerning the nature of the beasts."

The image switched from over to the small park that the wood trolls attacked. Footage of piles of and piles of the remains of the wood and dirt creatures being pushed or carried away by bulldozers played.

"It was a normal afternoon in this neighborhood park, until the trees themselves came alive and turned into vicious creatures that tried to drag the local children and parents down into the underground with them," the anchor's voice over said.

The screen then cut to a father and his daughter as they were being interviewed.

"I don't know what they were or how they came alive, but one minute I was pushing my little girl on one of the swings, and the next, the trees were attacking. They dug a big hole and tried to drag us down into it chanting "Come down to the underground with us!" the whole time," the father said into the microphone.

"Then the Warriors saved us!" his daughter enthusiastically piped in.

Then the show cut to the inside of a lab.

"The remains of the living tree creatures were taken to Mizuno Labs, where the facility's proprietor, Dr. Saeko Mizuno, personally performed the autopsy," the anchor's voice over continued.

"It was quite strange. These beasts were made of nothing but wood and dirt," Dr. Mizuno spoke. "But we did find something strange inside each of them."

The footage cut to about ten cocoons all lying in a 2-by-5 row on a counter top.

"We extracted these…things, from each of the slain tree creatures," Dr. Mizuno continued. "We can only begin to guess what these are. At the moment, we have no further information."

"And as for the strange tornados that attacked the initial press conference, no evidence other than unidentifiable chunks of meat has been recovered from the scene. At the moment, the source of that attack is still up in the air," the archor's voice spoke over some footage of the tornado charging the conference.

"Even more mysterious is the fate of the insect creature that went on an unstoppable feeding frenzy many blocks from both of the other attacks," the co-worker, a young woman said. "Dozens were devoured before Sailor V intervened, but as you can see this footage…"

The screen switched footage recorded form the news chopper. It was of Sailor V running down the street, desperately throwing any and every attack her in arsenal at Entomon as he chased her. At one point, she tried running around to the other side of a car to get away from him, but he just tossed it aside and kept right after her.

"…She hardly had it on the run," the co-anchor finished.

"That would be correct. It was not until further intervention from these unknown women, that the tide of the battle against this animal somewhat turned," the anchor said.

Screen captures of Warriors Moon and Mars from the battle now took up the screen. They were cleaned up, but still kind of fuzzy.

"According to sources, these two armored women showed up with two other unknown persons and actually helped Sailor V fight the beast, nearly to the point of submission several times before it completely vanished into thin air," the anchor spoke.

The screen switched to a still image of Entomon.

"Citizens are warned that the unidentified animal is still at large and that if you see it, _do not approach_, it considered highly dangerous and ravenous. No less than 51 people lost their lives to this thing, including several police officers."

"While we're on the topic of this animal's victims, funeral precessions are being held as we speak," the co-anchor put in.

It cut away from a live feed of a funeral where several persons were attending a closed-casket burial.

"The families of the victims have been devastated by this unprovoked massacre. What has made this tragedy all the worse for loved ones is that no one knows why the strange crustacean-like organism chose to act with such predatory aggression," the co-anchor explained.

"Oh, God…" Ikuko whispered in shock.

She covered her mouth with her hand as Kenji put an arm around her. They watched the news report with growing worry and horror as the damage done to all the lives just two days ago.

"And we will be going live with Councilor Hino after this commercial break."

* * *

A thunderous hum sounded across the large auditorium as reporters, cameramen, and others crowded around the stage and the podium set up at the front. Takashi Hino motioned for the crowd to quiet down as he was about to begin his speech. Like before, it was being broadcast all over the city. Takashi Hino quickly glanced behind him at the other delegates and to the experts that were called. They were seated in folding chairs with their eyes on him. Among them were Dr. Saeko Mizuno and the Inspector, Wakagi and Superintendent Sakurada. Directly overhead of the delegates was a large TV screen that had been mounted to the wall. Takashi turned back to the crowd.

"You're live now," the voice of an operator said into Takashi's earpiece.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, flashing a charismatic smile for the crowd.

He looked out on the masses gathered around on the other side of the police barricade. The officers manned each piece of the temporary wooden fence they had erected to keep the officials safe. Some officers had to keep pushing certain denizens and reports back across the line, shouting for them not to do again. An old man and a woman stepped up close to the wooden blockades, but did not crowd around them.

"I don't like this, Myddin," the woman said. "We need to have one of our own be a part of this event. I don't like the idea of politicians handling this situation on their own. He's even live with the UN and NATO this time."

"Do not fear, Jocelyn," Myddin replied. "For the moment, I want to reframe from getting too involved until we know for certain what they've learned."

Jocelyn and turned her eyes to the man about to speak.

Takashi's eyes strayed to the TV cameramen one more as he took a breath to begin his speech.

"We, the Japanese government, experts, and the people are gathered here today to discuss a very important matter. Two days ago, Friday, May 28th, saw three congruent and destructive attacks on the public. But, this is not the first of it. For over a year now there has been a series of bizarre incidents, attacks, deaths, and rumors concerning unidentified animals roaming about, some even claiming that beasts of legend have returned to stalk our nights. On the 22nd of May, London Time, these rumors were confirmed at Buckingham Palace's exhibit of the Sapphire Crystal.

"In the footage we about to show you, you will see these terrors with your own eyes as they battled a group of unidentified women in armor out front of the British royals' home. I should warn you, some of what we're about to show you will be disturbing," Takashi said.

The screen flickered on and the audience gasped while watching the Atlantians assault Queen Elizabeth II at the ball. People everywhere, though many of them had already seen the footage on news programs, were still in awe as the Warriors suddenly burst from the crowd intervene and take the fight outside. The screen cut to the two sides fighting on the lawn of the palace. At home, when the TV screen switched from the Takashi at the podium to the battle. Mothers and fathers watching the news felt compelled to pull their children closer to them.

Takashi watched the crowd, smiling as the footage proceeded to get the desired effect. The people were fearful and wanting answers. Shortly after, the giant screen flicked away from the stock footage back to the live feed of Takashi.

"Incidents such as these have been happening the world over, and until now, several parties with world governments have been trying to keep things quiet, even coercing the police into covering them up, but thanks to the efforts a select few individuals, the authorities were able to compile proof that the same forces responsible for the attack in England are also at work here in our own home, Japan," Takashi spoke. "Among these reprehensible parties are Councilors Isshin Anno and Yoshiko Hinamori. They are have been detained and undergone interrogation, and are not eligible for release at the present time. And now, I present one of the individuals that has exposed this conspiracy," he said, and gestured for Dr. Mizuno to step up.

Mizuno got up and took a place beside Hino.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the respected scientist of many fields, Dr. Seiko Mizuno," Takashi said.

* * *

"Mom?!" Ami gasped, spinning around in her swivel chair.

She rolled it across the room from her desk over to the radio which she tuned into the evening news.

* * *

Takashi stepped away from the podium, allowing Dr. Mizuno to take his place.

"Thank you, Councilor Hino," she said. "Over the last month, I have reported to the government several findings I've made in investigating these events with the help of my team members. Our success is largely due to our inside man within the Azabu Juuban Police Station."

Myddin and Jocelyn exchanged glances at those words before turning their attention back Mizuno as she continued.

"As a part of this research, I have also performed several autopsies of numerous unidentified specimens that were taken from the scenes of bizarre crimes," Mizuno said. "And they have all thing in common, not a single one of them were slain by the police, but either by Japan's own folk hero, Sailor V, or by those anonymous women in medieval battle gear. In fact, according to the case files we've collected of all the incidents involving these strange beings, they began happening in February of last year, shortly before Sailor V made her first national appearance. She is said to be a soldier of justice, fighting the battles that the police could not, and evidently, that has been proven true given the strange nature of her abilities and her opponents. Nevertheless, even with these heroes, as they're called patrolling our streets, the actions of the parties responsible for keeping the entire situation under wraps have jeopardized public safety."

* * *

Minako listened to the broadcast on the stereo in her room, with a look of boredom. She lied on her bed on her stomach munching on a bad of potato chips.

"Well, at least, the Warriors and I are coming out looking good," Minako said, and ate a chip.

"With that said, if you will all turn your attention back to the screen, I would like to show you a few choice selections of the subjects I've analyzed," Mizuno said.

"I think that's enough of that," Artemis said.

Using a paw, he turned off the radio as Mizuno began to run through some of the minions of the Dark Kingdom she'd somehow gotten her hands on. He let out a snort and turned to Minako.

"So what now?" Minako asked.

"We keep doing our jobs until we've defeated The Dark Agency, as always," Artemis replied.

* * *

"As you can see, the 'Doom Bus' disappeared into thin air only reappear a short time later with all the missing girls on-board. The manner in which is vanishes is identical to how the strange attackers on Buckingham Palace and the crustacean escaped. Observe. All of the footage these events have been examined thoroughly and confirmed by eye witnesses. No video manipulations were found. This is very real, ladies and gentlemen. Whoever is responsible for these attacks has mastered what modern science can only dream of: teleportation. Though…the methodology they are using is currently unknown," Dr. Mizuno continued.

"But where did they go?" someone in the audience asked.

"I believe I also have an answer to that," Dr. Mizuno replied. "All of the unidentified organisms I've dissected have had one thing in common. They all had trace remains of polar bears, ringed seals, arctic foxes, and other animals indigenous to the North Pole in their stomachs. Therefore, it is a simple matter to conclude that the source of all the strange occurrences from the last year can be traced back to that region."

Takashi came up next to her.

"Thank you, Dr. Mizuno," he said, taking control of the podium again.

He turned to the crowd.

"Early tomorrow, Dr. Mizuno and selected delegates will be going overseas to meet with world government leaders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S.A. Our purpose will be to encourage an exploratory mission to the North to search and locate the individuals responsible for these attacks," he explained.

* * *

Kunzite leaned forward resting his elbows on his desk as he watched the TV in his office.

"We intend to have every action necessary taken to end this darkness that has blackened our days," Takashi Hino said.

Kunzite raised a brow as he listened to the little man. He leaned back, letting his arms fall to his sides. After another minute of listening to the annoyance on the screen prattle on, he picked up the remote and flicked the television set off.

"If this Dr. Mizuno's findings are convincing enough, we could end up with several united militaries coming for us," Kunzite thought. "My Queen will want to be informed of this new development."

Someone knocked at his door.

"Come in," Kunzite called.

The door opened and whatever had come into his office stomped loudly when they walked.

"Ah, Entomon," Kunzite said, not even needing to look up to recognize him.

He looked over at the crab beast standing at the doorway of his office. Fresh blood was strained his lips, but thankfully, he had the sense to wipe enough of it away before entering that it wasn't dripping onto Kunzite's new carpet.

"Have the villagers been sufficiently intimidated yet?" Kunzite asked.

"Oh, yes, they're bowing out front as we speak," Entomon replied. "Need anything else done today? I could go for another round of mayors and policemen."

"That won't be necessary," Kunzite said, standing.

He picked up his dark brown business jacket from the back of his chair and put it on.

"Ah," Kunzite said with realization.

"Hmm? What?" Entomon asked.

"Well, there is a narrow trail not far off that some of them might try to use if it's left as is. Entomon, could you go and make it impassible?" Kunzite asked.

"Ay," Entomon nodded.

He turned to leave, followed by Kunzite. They walked the hall together towards the front entrance.

"I must say, breaking spirits has been an easy task ever since you've returned," Kunzite said.

"All in a day's work, General," Entomon replied.

Then they both chuckled as they pushed open the front doors. Sure enough, the citizens of the nearby were on hand and knees before Kunzite's refinery. Several armed men in havoc gear surrounded them and held them in place at gunpoint. A man, dressed much like Kunzite's other men, but had a beret, denoting his higher rank.

"Which one speaks for this lot?" Kunzite asked his officer.

"Him," the officer answered, pointing to a short, skinny man with a thick beard.

The officer gestured for him to be brought over. The two guards dragged him and threw him down onto his knees before Kunzite. The man looked up at the white haired man with frightened eyes.

"[Please, why are you doing this?"] the man asked in Farsi.

Kunzite stopped down low to look at the man eye-to-eye. The man leaned back away from Kunzite's smiling face.

"[Basically, you all work for me now.]" Kunzite answered back in the same language.

He gestured to the other villagers.

"[Now tell them that.]" Kunzite ordered him.

Kunzite stood and stepped away as the man was pulled to his feet by the guards. The man turned to face his fellow and villagers and repeated the message to them.

"[And if you refuse,]" Kunzite said to them.

He pointed to Entomon with his thumb.

"[My Friend here can always rearrange your features for you.]"

Entomon winked and gave a friendly little wave at them. Kunzite turned to the officer again.

"Get them up and take them inside. I want them working the production lines within the hour," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," the officer saluted.

"Hey, boss," Entomon said.

"Hmm?" Kunzite replied.

"What exactly do you make here, anyway?" Entomon asked.

"Oh, this is just a metal refinery," Kunzite replied. "One of many operations I have here in these war torn lands. This is purely for money making so I can keep things running smoothly and so I can afford to keep paying these fine gentlemen."

Kunzite gestured to the mercenaries as they corralled the villagers into the building.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important matters I need to report Queen Beryl," Kunzite said.

The villager people gasped or screamed as Kunzite seemingly disappeared into nothingness.

* * *

Monday, May 31st

Naru exited the classroom and headed over to the girls' locker room to get ready for gym. Usagi followed her out along with Makoto and Ami.

"You're not planning on confronting her about this right in the middle of school, are you?" Makoto asked, cautiously.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea. I don't exactly want to risk everyone overhearing an argument about it," Usagi replied, thoughtfully.

"Good idea. We'll want to do this someplace a little more private," Makoto whispered.

"Yeah, but even then, I still don't know how to approach this. I don't want to come off as an over-protective and paranoid ninny that's been listening to Umino too much," Usagi replied, sounding hopeless.

"Want me to do it?" Makoto asked, sighing.

"No! Naru's my oldest friend. I'll handle it. Trust me," Usagi said.

"Alright. If you don't want to do it alone, we'll be right there with you," Ami said, comfortingly.

"Thanks, but I want to do this alone," Usagi stated firmly.

"You sure?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, yeah," Usagi answered decisively.

"Alright, then. Good luck," Ami whispered.

"Thanks, I'll need it," Usagi replied.

For the rest of the school day, Usagi and the others tried to play it cool, some more successfully than others. However, luckily for them, Naru took any odd behavior from her friends as something Warrior related, so their cover was not blown prematurely.

Usagi sat in class, her head buried in her textbook. For once, she was actually trying to follow along with the lesson as to give herself something else to think about other than Naru's situation with her possibly-evil-boyfriend. This did not go unnoticed by both her classmates and Miss Haruna.

"Usagi, who were the kings responsible for the siege of Troy?" Haruna asked experimentally.

"Huh? Me?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. You."

"Er…idiot King Priam for not sending Helen packing or the guys who actually invaded?" Usagi asked.

"Sorry, I should have been clearer," Haruna answered. "Who were the kings who led the invasion of Troy?"

"Agamemnon and Menelaus, right?" Usagi asked, wracking her brain.

"That's…correct. Mrs. Hyuga will be pleased with you on your upcoming final, Usagi," Haruna replied, stunned.

"Thanks, Miss Haruna," Usagi modestly.

After school, Usagi stopped at the top of the steps and watched Naru walk out of the building. Makoto approached her behind.

"Hey, it looks like we're due at the meeting by Six," Makoto said to her.

"Alright, I'll try to be there on time," Usagi said.

"Gotcha," Makoto replied and walked on past.

Usagi set her watch for an hour ahead of time to give herself plenty of time to get down to Keeper HQ. Then she steeled herself before going down the front steps of the school after Naru, herself.

"Alright, deep breaths, Usagi. You can do this," Usagi told herself.

She trotted after Naru, deliberating over what to say.

"'_Hi, Naru, I know I don't actually have any proof, and this is only based on what Umino told me, so he might have gotten the wires crossed somewhere, but I think your boyfriend is evil. So break up with him right away, please.'_ Who the hell am I kidding? Why did this seem like a good idea yesterday?" Usagi muttered to herself.

She followed Naru as far as Osaka Jewelry and watched from across the street as her friend entered her family's place of business. Usagi sat down on the bench and cradled her head in her hands, still stressing over how to approach something she never thought she'd ever have to. Finally, she covered her face in her palms.

"Oh, man, this sucks," her low, distressed voice came through her fingers, muffled.

"What I wouldn't do just to be able to go over the Game Crown and talk to Motoki," she mused.

"What's this about needing to talk to Motoki?" a familiar voice asked.

Usagi squeaked and jumped in her chair. Behind her, whoever it was laughed quietly as to make a scene.

"This aura…" Usagi muttered with annoyance.

Usagi turned around in her seat to stare grumpily up at her nemesis.

"Jerkface," she identified him.

"Dumpling Head," Mamoru answered back with a wry smile.

He walked around the bench and sat down next to her.

"So what do you need to see Motoki about?" Mamoru asked.

Usagi sighed.

"Well, if you have to know, I was hoping to get advice from him. He's pretty reliable," she answered.

"I thought as much. Well, you could ask me. So, what seems to be the problem?" Mamoru asked.

"Like I have anything to say to you!" Usagi cried, annoyed.

Mamoru regarded her with a more serious expression now.

"Try me. I might not be Motoki, but I can tell that something's just eating you up inside," Mamoru said earnestly. "It's serious, isn't it?"

Usagi rolled her eyes.

"You'd just make more fun of me," she said.

"Not over something that's got you this bothered," Mamoru said sincerely.

Usagi looked back at him. Normally, she'd have just gotten up and walked away, but today something was different about him. His eyes told her that he was being serious, and somehow, she knew she could trust him. She leaned back against the backrest of the bench.

"I have a friend…" Usagi said.

"It's not you, is it?" Mamoru asked.

"No," Usagi answered, bluntly. "I think she's dating someone that's no good for her, and I need to talk to her about it. She's only fourteen and the guy's like twice her age. She's always liked older guys, but I think she's getting into something she's ready for."

"And?" Mamoru pressed.

"I…don't know what to do. I've never had to deal with a situation like this before. She's been seeing this guy for I don't know how long and didn't even tell me or anyone else, and I know her mom has no idea she's seeing this guy. I don't even know what to say to her. The problem is that I haven't even met this guy, which will be a problem while speaking to her. Sure, I don't know this guy, but he has no business dating someone not even in college yet, and he's already got a steady job working as a tennis manager. The whole thing just puts me in a really bad position to even confront this."

She looked back at him.

"Think maybe I should just wait and see what happens?" she asked.

"No way," he answered without hesitance.

He sat forward, folding his hands in his lap.

"That won't get anything done. Being truthful with your friend is just another form of courage. She might get mad at you for poking your nose into it, but if she's in relationship she knows she can't tell anyone about then chances are she shouldn't be in it at all. As her friend, it's up to you to talk some sense into her. Trust me it's much better than just watching her make a horrible mistake."

Usagi felt her resolve strengthen as he spoke. She knew he was right. She looked from him back to the jewelry store.

"You're right, and I feel a lot better now," she said.

She looked back at Mamoru with a smile.

"Thanks, Mamo!" she said genuinely.

"Anytime, Usagi," he answered.

She got up and took a few steps to the edge of the curb.

"I'm going to go talk to my friend now," she said.

"Good. I know you'll come through for her," Mamoru said, trying to assure her.

Usagi turned and looked at him one more time. For the first time since they met, she didn't see a bully out to make fun of her. She saw a regular guy with a gruff exterior with something more lying under the surface. She waved her goodbye to him and crossed the street over to the store.

"Maybe I had him pegged wrong. I don't think a real jerkface would have told it like it is like that, or even bothered trying to help me," she thought.

"Good luck, Pretty Soldier Moon," he said under his breath as he watched her go.

* * *

Naru and her mother both came out of the back of the store, each carrying a box of goods. While her mother wore her usual mask of pleasantness for the customers, Naru looked pensive. They set the two boxes down behind the counter and opened them up.

"Are you sure, mom?" Naru asked.

"Yes, but we'll talk more about this later, Naru," her mother answered.

The door dinged, indicating another customer had entered the store.

"Courage. Courage. Be brave, Usagi. You can face down a minotaur and freak with claws but no eyes. This'll be a snap…yeah, right," Usagi mumbled to herself as she entered Osaka Jewelry.

Naru's mother stood up to see who had come in.

"Ah, Usagi! Have you come to see Naru? She's right here."

"Hmm? Usagi?"

Naru's head popped up from behind the counter as well. She smiled at her best friend.

"Oh, what's up?" Naru asked, pleasantly.

"More than you can imagine," Usagi thought.

"Hey, Naru, can we talk? As in, somewhere private?" Usagi asked, nervously.

"Uh, well…" Naru looked to her.

"Go ahead," her mother smiled understandingly. "I can handle it from here."

"Okay, mom!" Naru said cheerfully.

She came around the counter.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Uh, not here," Usagi answered, taking her by the hand.

Naru became somewhat perplexed as she was led out of the store by her friend.

* * *

"I wouldn't call this private, but I'm listening," Naru said as she and Usagi leaned on the railing of a small stone bridge in a nearby park.

Usagi looked up at the sky, gritting her teeth. She let out the thousandth sigh of the day before looking down at the water.

"Okay, I can do this…" Usagi whispered.

"Naru, I know you've been seeing someone," Usagi force the words out loud and clear.

Naru blinked several times before her face turned red and she looked away.

"H-h-how did you find out?" she stammered.

"Umino…told me," Usagi replied.

"Umino?! How did he find out?" Naru asked disbelievingly.

"He saw you meet up with your boyfriend outside of the grocery store after the animal attacks stopped. He said that he's like twice our age," Usagi answered.

Naru's shoulder sagged and her head drooped until she saw staring at her shoes.

"I guess the word's out, then…"

Naru turned and looked Usagi square in the eyes. There was a fire there.

"I suppose you think he's bad news, don't you?" Naru asked with resignation.

"Yes, I do, Naru. A guy that old shouldn't be romancing a 14 year old girl. I think he's a bad news, and you need to ditch this guy as soon as possible."

Usagi bit her lip.

"Should I mention the part where we think he might be with the enemy?" she wondered.

Naru leaned forward, resting her elbows on the stone railing.

"Listen, Usagi. I'm involved in the first mature romance of my life. Masato is makes me feel special, which is something I've never felt before. This is honestly the best I've felt since…_that_ night."

Usagi regarded Naru's dreamy eyed look with concern.

"Oh, man, she's got it bad," Usagi thought.

"Who else knows about this, other than Umino and me?" Usagi asked.

"Well, no one. I know no one would take kindly to the age difference…" Naru mumbled, dejectedly.

"There's a good reason for that. How could go around dating this guy behind your mother's back after everything that's happened?! This guy could be with the…"

"Don't you dare say that!" Naru cried passionately.

The force of her voice made Usagi shrink back.

"Okay, even if this guy's not _that_ bad, does he really love you, and you him?" Usagi asked, urgently. "Has he told you he feels anything more than just _liking _you? Look, I'm no expert, but…"

"That's right, you're not," Naru said coldly.

Usagi was taken back. She stepped away from her, hurt. Naru immediately felt bad for snapping.

"Oh, Usagi, I'm sorry," she said, profusely. "I know you're just looking for me. It's just that…"

"Yeah, you really like this guy," Usagi said softly.

It was her turn to sigh with resignation.

"Think, think, think, Usagi! She's obviously not going to break it off with guy based on this conversation! Man, I suck at this! I need more proof of that guy's a scumbag," her mind wound in circles.

"Why don't you just meet him?" Naru suggested.

"Buh?"

"Yeah, look," Naru replied.

She reached into her purse and pulled out two tickets.

"These are tickets to a tennis match one of his clients is having this Thursday. He'll be there, and he's even invited me down to the Employee's Only area to chat. I'll take you with me and you can see for yourself what he's like. How about it?" Naru asked, eagerly.

She handed Usagi the other ticket. Usagi stared at the small piece of paper in her hand. Oh, she knew this was a bad idea, but there was no way she could refuse this. This was quite possibly the only chance she had to prove that this Masato was bad through and through.

"Naru, you've got it," Usagi said determined.

Naru smiled.

"Good. You'll see, Usagi. Masato's not a bad guy once you get to know him."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Usagi looked down at her watch. Her face soured at the interruption as she pressed the 'Dismiss' button on the alarm.

"Oh, man, why now?" she moaned.

"Warrior business?" Naru asked.

"Yeah. I gotta go. The Keepers and Rei put their heads together and figured out how the enemy is targeting people. I'm due at the meeting where we'll be discussing it in an hour."

Worry clouded over Naru's face and she stepped forward taking Usagi in a tight hug.

"You always worry me so much when you go off. Just promise you'll come back alive like you always do," Naru told her, very close to tears.

"Hey, now, don't worry about me. I'm not about to let those jerks have my life," Usagi said gently.

She patted Naru on the back and gingerly broke off the embrace.

"I'm Celestial Warrior Moon, and the only thing I'm gonna do is kick some butt."

**A/N: **Man, and I had hoped to get right back into the action, but after about 30 pages, I realized THAT wasn't happening this chapter. Don't worry, more epicness coming right up in the next chapter.


	29. Chapter 27: Dream of a White Dress

**Celestial Warrior Moon****:**

_**Disclaimer:**_I do not own any _Sailor Moon _related properties_._ _Sailor Moon _is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

**SomeoftheFame: **Thank for you for the help. Much appreciated I can't believe how many mistakes I missed. I glad you liked it despite the lack of action. I was hoping that the important plot points happening would give this chapter enough of an edge that it wouldn't need it.

**enchanted-legend: **Well, I guess it is a 'blink-and-you'll-miss' moment. Basically, Mamoru overheard Usagi and Makoto talking back in 'Chapter 10: Mars: Princess of Mars', but pretended not to know anything more than they were snooping around. He also outright saw Rei's first transformation into Mars. The only identities he doesn't know yet are Mercury and Sailor V's. As for Takashi's meddling: oh, you are going to feel cathartic when the time comes.

**James Bindsong: **Thank you.

**Ash Devil Sadist: **Thanks. I also think you'll like where this all going. I'm glad not sick anymore, too!

**Drew L.: **Thank you. That actually puts my mind at ease over the lack of action in the last chapter.

**LoveInTheBattleField: **You know it!

**Toast: **Well do. I am to please. :)

**Chapter 27**

**Dream of a White Dress; the Mysterious Sleeping Illness**

5:43PM, Monday, May 31st

"An exploratory mission? An exploratory mission?! Preposterous!" Pious shouted.

"Pious, calm yourself," Myddin said.

"Yes, one of your tantrums will not change anything, and please not in one of our own conference rooms," Jocelyn said.

That only seemed to enrage Pious more.

"Don't ask me to be calm! The Japanese Parliament has no idea no idea what it's sticking its nose into! If they convince the UN to send a military unit into the North to hunt for D-Point, it'll be like a child poking a hornet's nest with a stick on a massive scale!" Pious shouted.

"Yes, we understand the gravity of the situation, Pious, and we are taking precautions to ensure that no such decision is made," Myddin said, adamantly.

"Oh, are you?" Pious asked, cynically.

The three High Keepers were in a conference room, gathered at the front near the podium where they'd be in full view of the occupants of many, many rows of folding chairs. At the moment, the chairs were all empty, the only person around was Professor William Hollingshead, who was busy preparing slides and an overhead projector while trying to ignore the conversation going on behind him.

Artemis picked this particular moment to enter the room.

"And _you_!" Pious shouted irately, pointing a finger at Artemis.

"Me?" Artemis asked, clulessly.

"Yes, _you_!" Pious replied as a vein throbbed in his forehead. "You were in charge of crime scene clean up on all cases concerning the Warriors and Sailor V! How the hell did they get their hands on any specimens?!"

Artemis stopped dead in his tracks and began to back up as Pious marched right up into his face.

"Hey, the Dark Kingdom has been teleporting the bodies of important soldiers off battlegrounds for centuries. I had no reason to believe anything else was happening when we found some of the crime scenes missing a monster," Artemis said defensively.

"Oh, didn't you, now?" Pious said snidely.

Pious massaged his temples.

"Please tell me you at least know who actually took bodies from the crime scenes," Pious said, tiredly.

"I have a very good idea who it was, yes," Artemis replied.

"And?" Pious asked, impatiently.

"My people are looking into it. By morning, they'll have a report any suspicious movements, if any, that this guy has made," Artemis replied.

"And who is this suspect?" Pious asked.

"That's on a need to know basis, and you'll need to know when I've confirmed whether or not he was actually responsible," Artemis replied.

Pious stepped in close, so close that Artemis could feel the older man's breath on his face.

"Know this, boy. Any more screws like this, and managing crimes scenes and Sailor V will be given over to someone else. I'll make it happen, mark my words," Pious said threateningly.

"I think Mina will have a thing or two to say about that," Artemis replied.

"The girl's opinion will be irrelevant. Shape up!" Pious countered heatedly.

"Why you…" Artemis started to retort, but he was cut off.

Pious back-handed him in the face.

"Don't talk back to me, boy!" Pious growled.

"Pious!" Jocelyn said in utter disbelief. "THAT will be _enough_!"

"Pious, you will calm yourself or you will be removed from this meeting," Myddin said, authoritatively.

Pious glared at the other two Keepers, but backed away from Artemis, just the same. Artemis held a hand to his stinging cheek giving the balding man an ugly stare. He slicked back his white hair, trying to pass off the strike as nothing major. Myddin turned to Artemis and approached the younger Keeper.

"But Pious is correct about one thing. You were very careless, Artemis," Myddin said.

"I'm…sorry," Artemis said.

"I believe you, but still… I was going to tell you this during your appointment in my office, but seeing as the issue has already been brought up, your duties concerning crime scene clean-up are hereby suspended until further notice. You will instead concentrate on the completion of your mission with Sailor V," Myddin said.

"But, sir…!" Artemis started to protest.

Myddin held up a hand.

"No further arguments, please. The responsibility has already been given over to Rusila," Myddin stated.

Artemis shoved his hands into his pockets and just nodded.

"Yes, sir," he sighed.

"Good," Myddin said.

The head of the High Keepers looked everyone in the room in the eye with a serious manner.

"The girls will be here shortly. They must not see the Keepers in such disarray. Have you finished preparations for your presentation, Professor Hollingshead?" he said.

"Yes, Myddin," Hollingshead replied, and turning from the device for the first time.

"Good," Myddin said, giving a nod of approval to Hollingshead.

Then he turned to Pious and Artemis again giving them both a 'behave yourselves' look.

"The important thing for now will be for everyone to remain calm. We will deal with this new situation in a rational manner," Myddin said. "There has always been a risk of D-Point's discovery and what subsequent actions the world may take, especially since science and logic have advanced as they must. We will proceed cautiously."

A short time later, Luna, Haruka and the girls arrived. Professor Hollingshead sat by the projector, front and center while Jocelyn, Myddin, and Pious were to his left, and Artemis leaned against the wall to his right.

"Hello, everyone. Looks like we're on time," Luna greeted her fellow Keepers.

"Excellent. Now, if you will all have a seat, we will begin the briefing," Pious said.

He gestured politely to Professor Hollingshead.

"This is Professor Hollingshead, our astronomer who discerned that the Dark Kingdom was using the stars to choose their victims."

"Hello," Hollingshead gave a short wave to the girls.

When they were all seated in the front row, Hollingshead put on the first slide.

"This is Helen Lambert, their latest target," he said.

"Hey, that's the woman I saw in my vision!" Rei exclaimed with relieved delight.

She had feared that she just hadn't given them sufficient information that would allow them to identify her in time to save her. She and the others listened closely as Pious and Professor Hollingshead quickly walked them through the details of the mission.

"They're going to kill her on her own wedding?" Makoto asked, angrily. "That's just low!"

"I would have to agree," Hollingshead answered.

"Yes, and her energy will not reach all time peak until after the wedding has actually began," Pious explained. "That means that either Jadeite or Nephrite, possibly both, will be in attendance. That means you will all have to be there as well. And there is one other issue to take into accord."

"The time difference?" Ami asked.

"Yes. The wedding is at 9 in the morning on their Wednesday, which will be 3AM, Friday morning for you girls, but that's not all," Myddin answered.

Usagi's head thumped into the desk.

"Aw, man, and we have school!" she whined.

"At least we don't have any tests this Friday," Makoto said, limply.

"Which brings us to our next point," Jocelyn put in.

She turned to Hollingshead.

"Show them the slides, please," she said.

"Yes, ma'am."

Hollingshead put on the next slide, which depicted the night the ruin that was Peisinoe's House of Fortunes, and then the shrine on the day Rei became Sailor Mars, and Dream Land.

"Past missions?" Rei asked.

Pious cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Warriors, I have very distressing news to divulge to you, and this was meant to be explained to you all last Friday, but obviously, the…circumstances changed," he said.

"You can say that again," Usagi muttered.

"Eh? What's up?" Makoto asked.

Pious gestured to the four slides.

"These are four of your missions, but am I afraid that I have to inform that each of these events were distractions set up by the Dark Kingdom to keep us blind to their true purposes. While you were thwarting these schemes set up be either Zoicite or Nephrite, there were other machinations going on," Pious said.

Makoto and Ami stared ahead in shock for a few seconds before anyone said anything.

"Wha-what?" Makoto demanded.

"Well it's true. Observe," Hollingshead said.

He put in the next slide, which depicted three people. A girl in her mid teens in a tennis outfit, a boy, maybe a little older, who was holding a camera, and an older man in a wide brimmed hat who was crouching next to some flowers at what had to be a park.

"Who are these people?" Ami asked.

"Who _wer_e these people, you mean," Pious corrected.

"You're kidding. They're all dead?" Makoto exclaimed.

"Afraid so," Rei answered, with a hint of controlled sadness in her voice.

Makoto and Ami looked over at Rei. Usagi raised her head up from the desk, deciding now was a good time to put in her cents.

"Yeah, Pious talked to us about 'energy drain victims' on Friday before…things happened, and these are the people who have been killed by having all their life energy sucked up. Each one happened while we were distracted by the Doom Bus or whatever," Usagi answered.

Makoto looked at Usagi, and then at the slide, and then she groaned. Her let her face fall into the desktop while she clutched strands of her hair tightly in her hands.

"You mean we've been suckered all this time?" Makoto moaned.

"Well, the whole ordeal with The Rake, that night at Osaka Jewelry, our trips overseas, exposing the Crystal Seminar, and Triple Threat Friday were all legit," Rei said.

"I guess that kind of makes me feel better," Makoto said deprecatingly.

"Yeah, and we were going to tell you two, but, uh, Triple threat Friday happened…and I guess we kind of forgot with Entomon showing up…and…getting away…" Usagi answered, uneasily.

"That's understandable," Ami said.

"Yes, Usagi and Rei are quite correct," Pious said.

"Tell us some about the three victims," Ami requested.

" The girl was named Katie Sandler, a rising tennis player from America who was actually going to compete in Japan, the boy was Peter Fisher a prodigy photographer from England, and the older gentlemen was one Keith Baxter, the caretaker of a park in Sidney, Australia. For a long time, we were uncertain of how they were being targeted, because as you can see, there is literally _nothing_ connecting the three of them," Pious explained.

"So why weren't we told about this a lot earlier?" Ami asked.

"Because you had enough on your plate without having to worry about something like this. We had nothing to go until very recently," Luna replied.

Makoto sat back up, still looking very miffed at the thought that some of their attempts to keep the peace were mere smoke and mirrors.

"Precisely, and it is not as though you weren't saving lives. You were. All those people would have died without your intervention, a diversion or otherwise," Myddin put in.

Those words hardly made Makoto or Ami feel any better. That just meant that The Dark Kingdom was willing to toy with lives in order to put on a show.

"That brings us to our next point. With Jadeite and Nephrite targeting Helen Lambert on Wednesday, then Zoicite will have his next diversion in the making by then as well," Myddin explained.

"Oh, I get it!" Makoto said, punching a fist in the palm of her other hand. "Someone's gotta stay in Japan and make sure Zoicite doesn't harm any innocent people!"

"Exactly," Myddin nodded.

"At the moment, there are enough of you that we can safely leave one Warrior behind with a team to deal with whatever Zoicite has planned. With the possibility of Jadeite _and_ Nephrite working together on energy collecting, I wouldn't feel comfortable with any less than three of you attending that wedding," Luna said.

"I can handle Jadeite," Usagi said with surprising confidence. "I would've taken care of him if Nephrite hadn't gotten in the way back at the Crystal Seminar."

"Which is why I want three of you there," Luna said. "Nephrite is much more used to fighting than Jadeite, who has always relied more on magic over blades."

Ami let out a whoosh of air.

"Getting into a fight in a crowded sanctuary," Ami said. "Could we get them to take the fight outside? I don't like the idea of getting all those people mixed up in this."

"It won't take much to get them to you follow out, assuming the guests themselves aren't quick to vacate the premises," Luna said. "They're Beryl's generals, and would love nothing more than the chance to kill you all. With even one Warrior out of their way, life would become so much simpler for them."

"That will also be true to the Warrior who stays behind," Jocelyn said. "Even if his actions are nothing more than a smoke screen, Zoicite will take the opportunity to kill one of you if it falls into his lap."

"So that means whoever stays behind will have to be able to take care of herself," Makoto said.

"I guess that leaves the new girl out," Ami meekly.

"Hey, don't sell yourselves short," Makoto said, putting a hand on Ami's shoulder. "But, until you have a little more experience on the field, you should stick with at least one partner."

"Very well. Mercury will be heading over to the States," Luna said.

She paused, looked over the remaining three.

"Then Mars and Jupiter will…" Luna started to say.

"I'm going to that wedding," Usagi said firmly.

"Usagi…this is nothing against you, but Makoto, Rei, and Ami are all better English speakers than you," Luna replied, calmly.

"[I'M GOING! I've been practicing whenever I have a moment, both with Rei and by myself. I can speak English well enough for one day in another country. I'm going to help stop them from killing Helen Lambert and ruining the future she could have her true love!]" Usagi shouted in remarkably good English.

Luna leaned back in her chair, a little surprised at what she'd just heard. This was the same girl who was hopelessly lost that day in England? She glanced around the room at the other Keepers. Artemis wore a look of amusement and shrugged uncaringly. Pious didn't seem to have an opinion one way or the other, and Myddin and Jocelyn seemed just as entertained as Artemis was. Makoto and Ami were both giggling at Usagi's retort. Haruka just smirked.

"Well, of course, her English has improved a lot. She's started practicing it _with me_," Rei said, proudly.

"Oh, let her, Luna," Jocelyn said.

Luna sighed, and turned back to the odango head.

"Fine. If you're going to go on the main mission, then we need our other main fighter, Jupiter, to stay behind," Luna said.

She glanced from Usagi to Makoto.

"Is that fine with you, Makoto?" Luna asked.

"Hey, no problem! You can count of me!" Makoto gave the thumbs up.

"Very well, Makoto, you will be working with Haruka and another Keeper, Yoshiro, on this case. Keep a sharp eye out. Zoicite is already working his mischief," Luna instructed.

Haruka let out a quiet groan and rolled her eyes at the mention of 'Yoshiro'.

"Oh, not him," she thought.

"So how are we going to handle the wedding?" Ami asked.

"Well, simply put, three of the reception staff suddenly won the lottery and quit their jobs. Three replacements are needed," Luna replied.

"You rigged the lottery?" Rei asked, simultaneously impressed and disapproving.

"Hello! A life is at stake here!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Fine," Rei grumbled.

"Then if everything is decided. Artemis, it's your turn," Myddin declared.

Artemis took center stage and took out a photo and handed it to Haruka. She glanced it over and then passed it over to the next person, and so on until it landed in Usagi's hand.

"People sleeping at the hospital?" Usagi asked, looking up from it.

"Yep, and take another look. What do they all have in common?" Artemis asked.

Usagi looked at the picture again.

"They're all women," she said.

"Bingo. This morning, a bunch of these victims were brought into the hospital, all in a strange, unexplained coma. They were all healthy, so the doctors are stumped. At the moment, we're going over what they all might have in common, but we haven't found anything just yet. Keep a sharp eye out. If we find anything, we'll let you know by the time schools ends tomorrow," he said.

Artemis took back the photo and stepped down from the front.

"Now, does anyone have anything else to add?" Myddin asked.

Silence, shrugs, and the shaking of heads was in his answer.

"Then the meeting is adjourned. Good luck, everyone," Myddin announced.

Everyone began to leave.

"Hey, Makoto, are you still spending the night tonight, or is your new assignment going to stop you?" Usagi said to the taller girl.

"Nah, it shouldn't be a problem," Makoto replied.

She turned to the stauncher tomboy.

"Hey, Haruka, wanna meet after school and get started on this coma business?" Makoto asked.

Haruka shrugged in response

"Sure, I'll be there."

* * *

"And this is how you make darts," Helen Lambert said to her class.

She quickly finished up the diagram on the chalkboard. She set down the chalk and turned around to face her class. She held back a withering sigh when she saw how bored all her students were.

"Courage, Helen, even if they don't value what you're saying, you still have a job to do. This is for them, not you," she reminded herself.

"Is something wrong, Ms Lambert?" one of her asked, taking notice of the momentary silence.

"Oh! Oh, it's nothing. Um, yes! We've just finished Chapter 8. If you will all flip to page 126, and we will begin Chapter 9: Interior Design," Helen said, snapping out of her reverie.

The students sluggishly did as they were told. Helen glanced up at the wall-mounted clock. Twenty minutes. Hey, she was actually five minutes ahead of schedule. She just might be able to give the students a proper demonstration of what she was expecting from their next project.

After class was over, Helen was the last to leave after her grumbling students.

"Can you believe she expects me to know how to repair a wood chair?!" some girl muttered to her friends.

"Well, if you can do it, yourself, it'll save on the money you'd have to spend on either a new one or carpenters to fix it," one of her friends replied.

Helen ignored them as they went their way, and she went hers' down the hall to the Teacher's Lounge. Her mind was partially somewhere, and if anyone had seen her dreamy, blushing look, they might have gotten curious and asked. When she was about halfway to the lounge, she was stopped by an all-too familiar voice.

"Hey, Helen!"

Helen stopped and looked to who had called her.

"Oh, Patricia!" Helen said happily to her coworker.

The two began walking together down the hall.

"I can see you're spacing out between classes again," Patricia said teasingly. "So what were you think about? Thinking about this Wednesday? About him?"

Helen's already red face turned redder still.

"Ah, no… I was thinking about…something else, though I guess they're kind of related," Helen murmured, embarrassedly.

"Oh, you're still thinking about your homemade wedding dress. You do have that done, right?" Patricia said, understandingly.

"Yeah…it's almost down. Now I just need trim and it'll be done. I'm just having trouble deciding between 2…or 3…or 6 choices," Helen answered.

"Didn't you already the trim picked out?" Patricia asked.

"Well…yeah, but then I saw some alternatives that would also look nice," Helen said sheepishly.

"Well, girl, you have two days to get it done. I wouldn't stall," Patricia answered. "You can't put it off because you got torn between trim options. I'm sure it'll look beautiful no matter what you choose."

"I know…and, thanks," Helen answered quietly.

"You're welcome. Well, I hope you have a wonderful ceremony. I look forward to meeting this man that has you so head-over-heels at the reception," Patricia said, lightly elbowing Helen in the arm.

"M-Me, too," Helen answered shyly.

The two teachers turned the final corner on the way into the Teacher's Lounge, still chatting away. A man who happened to be walking down the hall accidentally bumped shoulders with Helen.

"Oh, excuse me!" the man said.

"It's no problem," Helen answered over her shoulder.

Helen and Patricia went back to talking and in the midst of it, they didn't notice what the man had done. While they entered the Teacher's Lounge, he exited the building out one of the many side exits. Outside, another man waited for him.

"It's done, Jadeite?" he asked.

"It's done. Don't you fret, Nephrite," Jadeite answered. "She didn't even notice. The curse will begin its work on her shortly. By Wednesday, her energies will be ripe and ready."

"And that perception cloud spell worked? It kept anyone from noticing you directly, Jadeite?" Nephrite asked.

"For the last time, yes. I told you, it works as long as I stay off to the side out of people's direct line of vision and do nothing to call attention to myself. Until I had to touch Helen, I was just something that nobody noticed in the corner of their eye," Jadeite answered crossly.

"Good. Now the waiting part begins," Nephrite said.

"Indeed. Come on. Let's get out of here. I doubt anyone is watching, but you never know where those Keepers will stick their noses," Jadeite said.

"Mm-hm. Now let's just hope that Zoicite is keeping himself busy," Nephrite said as the two teleported away.

* * *

"'_My old diary is full of you. And m diary is now full of the past. I want to see you. I want to see you one more time. I want to tell you my true feelings.'_ This was sent to us by Haruna the Dreamer from Juubangai," the soft, soothing voice on the radio spoke.

"Yes! La-la! Mine was picked! Heehee!" Miss Haruna squealed.

She began dancing around her room both blissful and without grace as her love letter she sent in was read aloud by the jockey. Hers' out of what had to be hundreds, had been picked! She couldn't help but giggle, but then her moment was interrupted by loud pounding her bedroom door.

"Hey, sis, keep it quiet in there and go back to bed! We both have to work in the morning!" her older sister's voices shouted grumpily from the other side.

"Spoilsport," Haruna muttered.

She looked at the time. Just after midnight. She'd gotten so wrapped up with the radio that she'd forgotten how late it was. Haruna felt a yawn coming and covered her mouth to stifle it.

"Well, I guess Natsuna's right. I'll be turning in now that I know I've own that fabulous flower they promised to the lucky ones who got their letter read," she thought.

Haruna turned off her radio and flopped into bed. Finally, all was quiet in the apartment the Sakurada sisters shared.

"Well, she's quieted down, at least," Natsuna said, relieved.

She shuffled clumsily back to her own bedroom.

"Uuuuuugh, and on the night before I have to review Wakagi's complaints about Ishida with the Chief and Commissioner, too," the police Superintendent groaned.

* * *

"Haruna?!" Usagi gasped.

She blinked twice at the radio.

That's our teacher's name!" she cried.

"Buh! Huh…wha…ugh…" Makoto shot up in the futon next to Usagi's bed.

She looked around, blinking several times as her mind, freshly interrupted from its peaceful sleep, tried to figure out where she was and why the trappings didn't look like her own room. And why she was on the floor.

"Oh, did I wake you up? Sorry," Usagi apologized, removing her earphones.

Makoto looked sleepily up at her, still processing the current situation. Usagi leaned over the side of her bed looking down at Makoto.

"Sorry again, I was listening to this new radio show that reads randomly selected love letters that get sent into them. See?"

"Love letters…what?"

Usagi placed the headphones into place over Makoto's ears.

"We're sharing everyone's love letters on this show tomorrow night, so please, keep sending them in. For those whose love letters are reads, we will send you a flower brooch that will make your love come true, and I promise that tonight's lucky ladies will have them by morning," the words entered Makoto's ears.

Her eyes shot open wide as she listened to the words.

"Yeah, I know, I want a flower brooch, too. It sounds like it's _so _pretty!" Usagi smiled.

"Wha-No! That's not it!" Makoto exclaimed, pulling the headset off.

She looked up at Usagi, intensely.

"You didn't recognize that voice?!" she asked.

"Um…should I have?" Usagi asked, utterly without a clue.

Makoto growled in frustration while her head slumped. It snapped back around to look Usagi straight in the eye.

"That was _Zoicite's voice_!" Makoto barely kept her voice down a whisper.

"It was?"

Her shoulders drooped.

"Oh, that's a shame," Usagi pouted.

"What radio show and station is this?" Makoto demanded.

"FN #10, and the show's _Midnight Zero_," Usagi replied.

Makoto held up the speakers of the headset up to an ear to listen a little more.

"I want your love to blossom. I'll be back tomorrow. This has been Z-Cite, goodnight, my lovies," Zoicite said in the smooth voice of a smarmy disc jockey.

Makoto stuck out her tongue at the sappiness of the broadcast.

"Z…Cite? He's not even trying to hide the fact that he's a distraction anymore. Man, who would even go in for this kind of thing?" she wondered.

"Hey, if you're done, I'd like those back. He might read another letter," Usagi said.

"One question answered," Makoto thought.

"The show just ended," she replied, handing the earphones back.

Then Makoto laid back and turned over into a comfortable position to go back to sleep.

"Aren't you going to tell Luna? She's just down the hall."

"Sleepy. Sleeping now. Talk with Luna tomorrow. Goodnight, Usagi."

"What was she doing listening to a late night radio show on a school night, anyway?" Makoto thought with conflicted feelings weighing somewhere between aggravation and relief. "Ugh, I hope she was the only one in our class listening to that nonsense and that it doesn't come up in conversation tomorrow."

Meanwhile, in other parts of town…

"So, _romantic_!" half the girls in their class gushed.

* * *

Tuesday morning, June 1st, 1992

"Hey, Honey, listen to this," Kenji said from the dinner table.

"What is it, Kenji?" Ikuko replied as she set the toast down in front of her husband.

As usual, he sat reading his newspaper before eating his breakfast.

"According to this, seven people were found sleeping by concerned love ones and coworkers when they didn't show up at work yesterday morning, and they haven't woken back up since. They're calling it The Mysterious Sleeping Illness," he summarized the article.

He lowered the paper and looked wistfully up in the general direction of the ceiling.

"I wouldn't mind getting that. I could catch up on some Z's," he said.

"Don't talk nonsense. You need to work hard and that promotion you want," Ikuko said chidingly.

"Yes, dear. I was just kidding," Kenji replied, knowing not to argue. "Besides, I'd miss your wonderful cooking if I went into a coma."

"You're such a flatterer, dear," Ikuko answered sweetly.

She looked over at the stairs leading to the second floor and sighed.

"Speaking of sleeping illnesses, I suppose it's time to _try_ to get that girl up," Ikuko said wearily.

She turned and was about to go upstairs when her ears were suddenly filled with the sounds of heavy footsteps stomping down the stairs. Usagi and Makoto appeared at the base of the stairwell a moment later. Usagi was swaying back and forth in a state somewhere between awake and asleep.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino. Uh, something with a lot of caffeine for Usagi, please," Makoto requested, steadying her friend.

"Ugh….Mak-o-to, it's too early to be uuuuuppp…" Usagi whined. "Whhhy you drag me out of bed?!"

"A _lot _of caffeine," Makoto repeated, emphasizing the point.

Kenji looked at his watch.

"Hey, what do ya know? Mako got her up early," he said.

"Can we keep you?" Ikuko asked.

Makoto laughed.

"And spend the rest of my best years getting this one up? Thanks, but no thanks!"

The three of them shared another laugh while Usagi's foggy mind tried to figure out where the loud noises were coming from. A few minutes later, and after Usagi had had her fill of sugar-laced fuel, both teens were jogging down the sidewalk towards school.

"Geez, we're going to beat the Class Rep to school at this rate!" Usagi said sourly while looking at her watch.

"At least the teacher's not going to yell at you again, and this is not a good week to be getting on Miss Haruna's bad side. I heard she got stood up twice last week. You wanna end up in the hall holding _three_ buckets?" Makoto scolded her.

"Yeah, yeah… Oh, hey, did you get a chance to talk to Luna before we left?" Usagi asked.

"No, she was already gone when I got up and she didn't answer her phone. That'll have to wait until after school," Makoto answered.

They made it in plenty of time. Usagi received a few surprised look from her classmates, who were surprised to see her there early two days in a row. Once it was time for class to begin, it oddly seemed like there was nothing for Makoto to worry about. All the students sat in their seats, murmuring amongst themselves about a certain element that was missing from the front of the room: the teacher. Ami stared curiously at Makoto, seated next to her.

"Makoto, why have you planted your face on the desk?" she asked.

"This is the last time I'm ever getting up early," Makoto's voice came through somewhat muffled.

Across the classroom, Usagi and Naru exchanged confused looks.

"I haven't seen Miss Haruna since we got here. Have you, Naru?" Usagi asked.

"No. Is she just not coming today?" Naru answered.

Usagi let out a pouty huff.

"Looks like Makoto dragged me out of bed for nothing," Usagi muttered.

"Did not!" Makoto hollered from her seat.

"It's not normal for Miss Haruna to be late," they heard Umino comment.

All eyes turned to the door as it slid open very slowly. Haruna dragged her feet into the room. Her arms hung at her sides limply and she barely kept hold of the texts she carried with her. Her gaze was unfocused and she shook her head fighting off sleep several times as she moved awkwardly towards the desk at the front. Her hair was slightly unkempt as opposed to the usual care she usually put into it.

She tripped and fell into her desk, almost knocking it over and her books and papers went flying everywhere! The entire classroom either gasped or winced as her upper body fell across the desk with a loud 'thud'. A few got up to and went over to help her.

"Miss Haruna?" Makoto said tentatively.

She walked up behind the exhausted educator and held her by the shoulders and helped stand her back up. Haruna looked over her student and tried to focus.

"Oh, uh…Miss Kino, thank you, and…oh!"

Umino and Ami set her books and papers down on the podium for her.

"Thank you two, too…" she said, leaning against the desk. "Now, uh, back to your seats, please. Let's get started."

"Miss Haruna, are you really in any shape to do this today?" Makoto asked, concerned.

"What you talkin' about Makino…" Haruna's words were becoming slurred.

"That's Makoto Kino, actually," Makoto corrected her.

"Tha's wha ah said," Haruna said, lightly clapping Makoto's shoulder a few times. "Back to yer seat now, Maiko."

Makoto reluctantly backed away, and went back to her desk. She kept watching her Homeroom teacher, looking her over for anything out of the ordinary… There! Adorning her usual red dress jacket was a purple flower. Her mind vaguely recalled Usagi shouting something about a 'Haruna' while listening to Zoicite's radio show last night.

"I wonder…" Makoto thought, considering the flower more.

Right now, everyone was just amazed that Haruna was managing to stand up straight now that she was behind her desk. She sluggishly pulled out a black booklet containing a list of her students. Haruna tried shaking the drowsiness that encumbered her again and then held the booklet up with trembling hands.

"Let's see…let's begin rollcall now," she said.

Then her head bowed forward and the booklet fell from her hands. She sunk forward onto the desk, but propped herself up with her elbows.

"Actually, you know what, today is will be self-study. Just study whatever you want. Today, I'm just…"

She paused in midsentence to yawn and stretch.

"So, so…sleepy…"

And _thunk_. The teacher had passed on out her desk. The students all stared at Miss Haruna, mystified, and then turned to each other, still no less bewildered. Usagi, Makoto, Ami, Naru, and Umino all rose from their seats slowly, eyes transfixed on their slumbering teacher. They all shared the same intent stare wrought from their knowledge that something was wrong with this picture.

"What's wrong with Miss Haruna?" one of the other students asked.

"How should I know?" came an unconcerned answer.

"I guess it's a lucky break for us."

"Could it be some kind of disease? I heard about this Sleeping Illness that's been going around! What if we catch it?!"

"Don't be stupid. It's probably just exhausting being a teacher."

"Yeah, I've heard that Miss Haruna has given up vacations so she can do extra work to help students. It might have just caught up with her today."

Most of the student body either began to gossiping or actually going over homework that needed double checking. Some just rested or left, while another ran off to get the nurse and another was off to the nearest phone to call in paramedics. The five in the know approached their teacher. They movements were slow and cautious as they gathered around the sleeping woman. Ami reached out and grabbed Haruna by the wrist, feeling for a pulse. She exhaled with relief when she felt the normal, rhythmic thumps of the heart.

"She's okay, for now. If nothing else, her heart rate feels normal," Ami said, softly.

"So what'll we do?" Usagi asked.

When she was close enough, Makoto grabbed Miss Haruna by the shoulder and gave her a good shaking. Aside from some inarticulate mumbling she did not respond.

"She's out cold!" Naru exclaimed.

"Yeah," Makoto breathed.

Carefully, Makoto lifted Haruna up from the desk and sat her down in the chair. She squatted down to get a closer look at that flower brooch. It had six, broad oval-shaped violet petals. In the center, the yellow nectar almost looked like little vines that were reaching out to ensnare something.

"Hey, I think that's the flower brooch you win at…Midnight Zero," Usagi said, realization setting in.

"Yeah," Makoto nodded without taking her eye off it.

She reached over and began removing the brooch from Miss Haruna.

"Let's just get this off her for now," Makoto said.

"Hey, what are you guys up to?" one of the other students asked.

"We're just making sure Miss Haruna's okay. This isn't exactly normal," Umino answered.

By then, Makoto had unpinned the flower from their teacher. She held it for a moment, turning it over in her hand, but before she could get a real good look at it she suddenly starting feeling fatigued. Makoto quickly set it down on the desk, not wanting to touch it any longer than she had to. When she stood again, she wobbled slightly, but steadied herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over. It was Ami giving her a concerned look.

"Makoto, are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just felt tired all of a sudden," Makoto answered.

Then she pointed at the brooch.

"And I think I know who the culprit is," she added.

Makoto backed up a step.

"You think that pretty little flower did this?" Naru asked.

"Maybe. We won't know for sure what's going on until someone has a look at it," Ami said.

Usagi glanced over at Umino, who leaned against the desk listening to their conversation. With him standing right there, they couldn't very well talk too openly. She had to think of something if they were going to make any headway.

"Come on, guys, let's call the police and get this thing looked at. Umino, you keep an eye of Miss Haruna," Usagi said, picking up the flower.

"Usagi! Don't!" Makoto warned.

"Oh, relax. I'm only going to hold onto it for a little while. It can't work any voodoo on me that…fast…" Usagi's eyes drooped and she yawned.

Before she could pass out, though, Makoto slapped the brooch out of her hand. It landed soundlessly on the floor not far away. Usagi still stumbled. Naru grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her until she found her footing again. It didn't take long for her to regain her bearings. She held her forehead while the last of the tired dizziness wore off. She looked around as she came back from the land of slumber.

"Okay, maybe not! Geez! I was holding that stupid flower for, what, a few seconds, and I almost passed out!" Usagi cried.

"How did Miss Haruna manage to make it here if it works that fast?" Umino asked.

"Guess teaching's tough," Makoto shrugged.

A few moments later, the school nurse and another teacher entered the room led by a male student.

"See? Miss Haruna just passed out before she could even begin today's lesson. Yuri ran off to call an ambulance," the boy explained.

"And we can't wake her up," Makoto added.

"Alright, let's just move her to the infirmary until the ETs arrive. If we can't get her awake by then, we'll have no choice but to let them take her," the nurse said.

They did just that. Miss Haruna was moved to a bed in the infirmary and a short while later the paramedics arrived. They were able to do nothing to rouse the comatose woman by then, and she was hauled off on a stretcher. The entire classroom watched from the windows. Usagi, Ami, and Makoto leaned against the windowsill looking down as the truck drove away.

"Alright, it should be fine to carry around now. I managed to find this," Naru said.

She came up next to Makoto, holding up a plastic baggie she'd stuffed the flower brooch into.

"Umino didn't see you smuggle that from the crime scene, did he?" Makoto asked.

"Nah, he thinks I gave it to the cops. Anyway, Usagi told me that this radio show and flower business is your investigation, so here you go."

Makoto accepted the evidence from her and pocketed it.

"So what's stopping us from taking care of Zoicite's little scheme now? Our…other plans aren't until tomorrow night," Usagi whispered.

"He won't even be at the radio station yet. That was at Midnight, and it won't even be noon for several hours," Makoto answered.

"Right…he'll still be wherever he and the other jerks hang out," Usagi muttered.

"Besides, we need to be sure," Ami said. "Makoto, you _think_ you heard Zoicite's voice over the radio last night, but you're absolutely sure?"

"_Yes_," Makoto responded.

"I believe you. I'll examine the flower for you, but I'd like to make sure that Midnight Zero is, in fact, where Miss Haruna got it," Ami said.

"How do we do that?" Usagi asked.

"We send a love letter," Ami replied.

Usagi and Makoto's faces turned luminescent.

"A letter love…" Usagi started.

"…to be read…" Makoto continued.

"…Over the radio," they finished together.

"Absolutely!" Ami chimed.

Then she looked from one to the other.

"Is something the matter?" Ami asked, clearly not getting it.

Naru rolled her eyes at them.

"Oh, for crying out loud, I'll do it!" she proclaimed.

She grabbed Makoto by the arm and dragged her away towards her desk.

"Hey! Naru! What are you doing?" Makoto asked in confusion.

"I'm going to give you a love letter to send in. If Miss Haruna's letter was read last night and she got the brooch by this morning, then you should get it by tomorrow morning, too, if we can get yours' read," Naru explained.

Naru sat down at her desk and started writing. After about a minute, Makoto coughed uncomfortably, deciding to speak up.

"I don't think you can just start writing a love letter on the fly. Don't those take a lot of time and-?"

"It's done. Here ya go!" Naru chirped happily.

Makoto took the piece of paper, giving its author an odd look. She began to read its contents to see what she'd come up with.

"_It's nice to believe in fate…"_ it started. Makoto's eyes scanned the page until she reached the bottom.

"_Your True Love,_

_Makino"_

She lowered the letter to give Naru an unamused look.

"Oh hardy har har," she said dryly.

Naru giggled and blew her a raspberry.

"Okay, the letter's actually pretty good. How did you read it so quickly?" Makoto asked.

"When you've spent as much time with other love struck girls as I have, you learn a few key phrases to save for later," Naru said and winked.

"Well, thanks! And…thanks for the penname. The thought of having anyone read something that private over the air is embarrassing enough, but having everyone know it's allegedly from me would be even worse," Makoto said, appreciatively.

The door to the classroom opened again and a woman who looked like she might have arrived straight out of a college stepped in carrying a large armload of texts and notes.

"Hello, I'm Ms Kanna, and I'll be your substitute for today…" she said breathlessly.

* * *

Natsuna Sakurada burst into the emergency room ward, followed by a worried nurse. Artemis entered the doorway behind them, but stayed where he was at the moment.

"Please, Superintendent, you can't just go in there without permissions," she called frantically after her.

Sakurada ignored her and marched over to Haruna's bed where doctor and some nurses were still examining her. She finally slowed her pace when she got a good view of her comatose sister. The doctor noticed and looked back at her.

"Sorry Miss, no visitors for this patient yet. Nurse Arisawa will take you back to the waiting room until we're finished here," he said, and nodded for Arisawa to do that.

"Please, Superintendent," Nurse Arisawa said, grabbing Natsuna's arm.

"Is she like the others in with the sleeping illness?" Natsuna asked, barely keeping her voice under control.

"So far, that is our diagnosis," the doctor answered. "But we still need to go over all her vitals to be sure. Now please, go with Nurse Airsawa. We'll let you know the minute we have a solid diagnosis."

Finally, Natsuna allowed herself to be led out of the emergency ward. Artemis stepped back out of the way as the Superintendent was and Nurse Arisawa went out into the hall.

"My sources on the street already have a chief suspect. Meet me outside," Artemis whispered in Sakurada's ear as she went by.

She pretended not to hear as Nurse Arisawa pointed her back to the waiting room.

A few minutes, on a bench just outside of the hospital, Superintendent Sakurada and Artemis sat down casually, looking to anyone passersby like two people in casual conversation.

"Ishida, what have you found?" she asked.

""Well, there is a linchpin that ties all the victims together," Artemis said.

From his jacket pocket he produced a photograph of the same flower Haruna had been wearing.

"All victims, except your sister, have been found with this brooch attached to their shirt or jacket when they were brought in. Now, with our resources tied up, we haven't quite had the time to properly examine them yet, but we can get guess what they've been laced with," he said.

He put the picture back into his jacket pocket.

"Busy with _what_?" Sakurada demanded.

Artemis let out a single, uncomfortable chuckle, but decided not to tell her that The Keepers were scrambling to cut off Councilor Hino's plans for the North Pole at the knees. Instead, he continued his report.

"We have examined the victims, and know what's wrong with them. They've had a big drain on their life energy, but thankfully not fatally. We've been removing those brooches as soon as we see they have them. Now, we have a little team of…specialists, coming in to treat the sleeping illness victims this afternoon. They will restore the victims' energy and your little sister will awaken by the end of this day."

"Who is the chief suspect?" Natsuna asked.

"Well, at the moment, he's going by the name Z Cite," Artemis answered.

"Who?"

"He' supposedly a new disc jockey over at FN#10 and running a show called _Midnight Zero_, but when I inquired about the show over at their office, the guard out front insisted that they have no such thing in their lineup," Artemis answered.

"What is this _Midnight Zero_ show about?" Natsuna asked.

"Well, it airs at midnight, apparently, girls send in their love letters to get read live, and the winners get the flower brooch I just showed you."

"I see. Alright, give me that photo. With things as they are, that'll be enough to get a warrant to investigate the FN #10's studio!" Sakurada ordered.

Artemis shook his head.

"It's no good," he said.

"What? And why not?!"

"I asked if I could look around and ask questions. Since I was a cop the guard let me in, claiming that they have nothing to hide, and they don't. The show that's supposed to be airing at Midnight, and is as far as they know, is _Light Favorites_, which is supposed to be hosted by Sakura Kuchiki. There is no sign of this Z Cite person and no one's even heard of him over there."

"And you believe them?" Sakurada asked flatly.

"Yes, and this is the M.O. of the people responsible for all the strange incidents. While their operation is running smoothly, there will be no physical evidence for the police to find," Artemis said.

"I see. So I take it that you and Mina will be confronting this 'Z Cite'?"

"Nope, we're going to be relying on someone a little more armored."

"Those other girls, then?"

"Yep. Don't worry. In a few hours, Haruna and the other victims will recover, and tomorrow night, we'll put an end to Midnight Zero."

"Tomorrow night?! Why not tonight?"

"Timing is key. If they try it tonight, we won't get anywhere. Tomorrow will be a better time, because that's when something else is going down that this ties into."

"Inspector Ishida?"

"Yeah?"

"Who are you, really?"

Artemis laughed.

"You would never believe me even if I told you. I'm on your side, if that's what you want to know."

"Try me."

"I'm a cat from the moon, I'm over a thousand years old, and my family used to be servants to the Moon Kingdom's royal family."

Sakurada gave him a tired look.

"You know, I'd almost believe even that," she said.

Sakurada sighed.

"I'm going to go wait for the doctor to let me in to see my sister. Do what you have to."

She got up and went back inside. Artemis watched her go.

"Sorry, Superintendent, and thank you," he said.

He leaned back on the bench and tilted his head back until it rested on the top of the backrest. He looked up at the clouds and watched them float by. He was thankful that Sakurada was going to allow them to deal with this. If they busted _Midnight Zero_ tonight, then Zoicite would have to do something a lot more drastic Wednesday night to keep their attention on him, and Artemis knew that Tokyo was no condition for another Triple Threat Friday.

He sighed as another thought entered his head. The curtain would be coming down on the whole great mystery of the world's secret protectors and its secret attackers sooner or later. That was inevitable at this point, and everyone else knew it, too. The only thing they could do now was make it happen as gently as possible to try to prevent a panic. Artemis grinned as his thoughts shifted again, this time to a light note. This Haruna Sakurada was Usagi, Makoto, and Ami's teacher. When the flower brooch turned up missing, he had a feeling he knew who figured out what it was doing to her and then relieved her of it. That also meant that Ami was going to use her computer to scan it and figure out its properties.

"Good girls," he thought.

He brought up his cell to his ear. On that note, he had some calls to make.

**A/N: **Okay, so my promise that _this_ chapter would be more action packed didn't quite work out the way I wanted. But, I'm glad I didn't rush to it and gave the story time to breathe. I never seem to remember that _Sailor Moon_ stories are usually in no hurry to get to the finish.


End file.
